The meaning of friendship
by insert witty
Summary: As Tai accidentally hurts Matt in one of their arguments, Matt decides to take off. Tai is having bad conscience and Sora misses the boy desperatly. The group decides to split up in order to find Matt, but what have happened to Matt while he was alone out
1. Default Chapter

The meaning of friendship  
  
Matt's heart pounded as if it was ready to burst any second when he threw himself to the ground, in the relative safety behind a big, grey rock. The dirty ground felt damp, when his feet, knees and hands landed. His lip shivered and he heard the footsteps of the large, evil Digimon that had been chasing him trough the woods. Matt hugged Tsunumon, rested his aching, blond head against the cold stone, and tried to hear where the bad Digimon were. His eyes throbbed and he couldn't stop a tear from rolling down his cheek. His throat was so dry after all the running... It hurt... It felt like if he was choking.  
  
The moon lit up the night a bit, but it was still hard to see clear. The trees was making strange shadows on the ground and the wind whined eerily when it blew trough their leafs. Matt's arms were covered in goosebumps and he shivered though it wasn't cold at all. It felt like he would throw up when he thought of what had happened.   
  
  
  
  
[Flashback]  
  
"Can't you listen to me for once?" Matt's angry voice asked.  
  
"No! Cuz' you always have a stupid opinion, that doesn't really matter in the end", Tai yelled. "You're just jealous of me, that's why you want to argue with me all the time!" he continued.  
  
"I'm *NOT* jealous of you, Tai! It's just that I don't think we should go east!   
Tai was so angry that it felt like if his blood was boiling. "Why can't you be like the others? Why can't you be like a normal kid? Is something wrong inside your head?"  
  
Tai looked into Matt's eyes with fury. For a second Matt's eyes displayed many emotions. At first they looked stunned. Then they were filled with some kind of helpless sadness, then guilt.   
  
  
[Matt's own flashback]  
  
He was sitting in his room. He was alone and only six years old. T.K wasn't at home and it was dark, but he could hear voices downstairs.   
  
"How are we going to pay for Matt's PlayCenter? And T.K's? They can't be at home all the day! Especially T.K!" Matt's mother yelled.  
  
"We shouldn't have gotten any kids! Do you know how much Matt's Football practice costs?" Mr. Ishida's rage filled voice asked. "Why can't he be like other kids and play football in the park?"  
  
"You know that almost the half of the kids in our neighbourhood play football in that club!"  
  
"Why can't he be a normal kid? Is there something that's not right inside his head? He bit my hand yesterday!" Matt's father said.  
  
"You tried to hit him! That's why he bit you, you bastard!"   
  
"What did you call me?"  
  
Matt heard a slap and his mother screamed. He put his hands around his head, and tried to make himself so small that he wouldn't hear his parents. 'He's right... Why can't I be like other kids? Maybe they wouldn't fight anymore if he wasn't there.' Matt slapped himself in the head. Again and again, harder and harder. His eyes were filled with tears but they didn't fall. He didn't cry.  
  
[End of Matt's personal flashback...]  
  
  
  
He took control of his emotions, and his eyes went cold and angry. Matt returned the angry glance. "Ok. I'll go. If I'm just in the way for you, well, then I'll go." He said quietly, trying to take control over his trembling voice.   
  
He turned around and ran.  
  
Tai was too stunned to do anything at first, but then he came to his senses and realized what just happened.  
  
"Matt! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" Tai yelled after the blond boy, but he didn't stop. Gabumon ran after Matt into the woods. "Matt! Slow down! Wait for me!"  
  
[End of Flashback.]  
  
  
"I'm so sorry, Tsunumon!" Matt whimpered. He closed his eyes hard, trying to ignore how much his side hurt.  
  
  
  
[Flash back] (In the DD's camp)  
  
"We have to find him!" Tai said. "He's my best friend." He felt really guilty for what he had said to Matt. His shoulders were hanging and he looked on his feet.  
  
"You're right." Sora said. She felt like if she should have said something to Matt, so that he wouldn't have ran away. She liked him.   
  
"Matt..." T.K whimpered.  
  
"Oh don't worry T.K! We'll find him!" Mimi said cheerfully. "He just needs some time to think!" She was a little surprised about the feeling she had inside, when she thought of him. But after all, he was a cute boy and Mimi always got a weird feeling inside when she thought of a cute boy. A cute boy like... She didn't allow herself to end that thought and she blushed, looking down on her feet.   
  
'Why is she blushing?' Sora thought. And why was she feeling jealous? Sora blushed too.  
  
  
  
  
(Now we are following Matt again.)  
  
He didn't stop running for an hour. Gabumon was still following. Matt slowed down, and then stopped. He stood there a while, with his hands on his knees, heavily breathing.   
  
"Tai didn't mean to hurt you, Matt." Gabumon said calmly.  
  
"I know..."  
  
"So why did you run?"  
  
"Because, what he said... It's true. I'm useless. All I do is wrong. I'm just in the way for the group." Matt answered looking down.   
  
"That's not true, Matt..." Gabumon said, but Matt cut him off.  
  
"It *is* true! I've always been in the way! I'm a freaking mistake!" Matt hid his face in his hands and sobbed. This almost made him madder, he hated to cry!   
  
Gabumon hugged him gently.  
  
"No, Matt. You're not a mistake! No one is perfect. Not you, not Tai, not me, not anyone!   
  
'Except for one person...' Matt thought and looked up with wet eyes at Gabumon. He hugged his Digimon friend back. "Thanks, Gabumon."  
  
"Don't thank me. You don't have to thank me for saying what is true." Gabumon hugged his human partner a little more, making Matt's crest of friendship glow slightly.  
  
Suddenly the trees and bushes fell down with a great rumble. The ground was shaking and a huge Digimon appeared. He growled and looked at the blond DigiDestined and the Digimon beside him.  
  
"I will enjoy killing you, Guardian of Friendship!" he said with his loud, dark voice and laughed.  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter Two

[Still flashback]  
The big Digimon had knifes and razors sticking out of it's back, head, knees and feet, elbows and hands. Its small black eyes were gazing at Matt and Gabumon.  
  
"Who is that, Gabumon?" Matt asked with fear in his voice.  
  
"It's Knimon, a truly evil Digimon. But don't worry. I'll protect you!"   
  
"Okay. Go get him Gabumon!"  
  
"Gabumon warp digivolve to... MetalGarurumon!!!" The huge wolf like Digimon howled and attacked.  
  
"Metal Wolf Claw!"   
  
Knimon simply blocked it and lifted up MetalGarurumon in the neck. "Shame on you, doggy!" He said in a mocking tone. The large wolf twisted and turned in the air, but couldn't get out of Knimon's hand. Knimon turned his big head to Matt. Before Matt could react, he grabbed him and held him near his eyes.  
  
"So small... yet so important. But I've never understood how you humans could save this world. You're so weak. Pathetic" Knimon was holding Matt the same way he held MetalGarurumon, but he held him in his green top.   
  
Knimon let go of MetalGarurumon and yelled "Razor Fist!"  
  
Four very sharp knife-like items came flying out of his knuckles. They hit the wolf-like Digimon who dedigivolved back into Tsunumon.   
  
"Tsunumon!" Matt screamed. "Are you ok?"  
  
The small Digimon didn't answer.   
  
"You shouldn't worry about him. He's just a bit worn out. Let's worry about you instead..." Knimon laughed evilly. He rose one of his razor finger "Don't be afraid, Guardian of friendship, this wont take very long..."   
  
"Bubble Blow!" A tiny voice yelled from the ground. Tsunumon's attack didn't do any harm on Knimon, but the Digimon got so surprised over the attack, he accidentally dropped Matt.   
  
The blonde cried out in pain when he hit the hard ground, but he quickly got on his feet again, ignoring the soreness of his body. Matt grabbed Tsunumon, who wasn't very good at running, and ran the fastest he could away from Knimon.   
  
The Digimon foe screamed out his anger and started to search for the digidestined of friendship.   
  
  
  
[End of flashback]  
  
Matt slowly crawled away from the rock he'd been hiding behind.   
  
"C'mon, Tsunumon." he whispered to the small, orange creature. Tsunumon hopped after Matt, trying to not be noticed by Knimon. Suddenly, a branch broke under the weight of Matt's knee.   
  
"Shit." Matt hissed. Knimon's footsteps had stopped. Matt lay still and silent. He turned his head slowly, and very carefully towards the huge beast. Knimon stood unmoving and listened closely.   
  
"What happened?" Tsunumon asked, breaking the silence like if he'd just crushed a window into a thousand pieces.   
  
"Shhh, Tsunumon!" Matt hissed, but it was to late. Knimon had turned around the second he heard Tsunumon. Matt gasped when Knimon gazed at him with his small, black pig-like eyes. "Chilly infection!" he roared, as a grey beam was shoot against Matt's chest.  
  
  
  
  
A/N: What will happen to Matt!? Oh god! Read the next chapter and find out!  
  
Oh yeah, almost forgot... please review!  
  
  



	3. Chapter Three

  
Yesss... Here's part three:  
  
  
  
When Matt woke up he was surprised. The sun was shinig brightly and he felt just fine, exept some bruises. He looked around to see Tsunumon sleep peacefully beside him. Knimon were nowhere to be seen. Matt got on his feet. He was still by the rock he had hid behind yesterday. He sat down again and poked on Tsunumon carefully.  
  
"Tsunumon... Wake up!"   
  
The small Digimon tiredly opened his eyes and yawned. "What...?" Then he remembered what had happened last night. He was wide-awake the next second.   
  
"Matt, are you okay? Where is Knimon? I'm sorry I made him notice us! How did you get away?"  
  
"Calm down, Tsunumon! I'm fine!"  
  
The one-horned orange creature cooled down.   
  
"I don't know where Knimon is." Matt said. "The last thing I remember is that he attacked me, but I'm not hurt at all. I just woke up and he wasn't here."  
  
"Strange!"   
  
"Yeah."  
  
"So what do we do now?"  
  
"Um... I dunno. Maybe we should find the others?" Matt suggested.   
  
"Yeah, that's a good idea!" Tsunumon said cheerfully.  
  
"Do I have to carry you?"  
  
"No I can bounce on my own."  
  
  
  
  
[Back with the other digidestined:]  
  
"Where can he be?" Joe asked.  
  
"How should I know?" Tai said. He'd been a little jumpy since Matt left. He was still feeling bad about what he had said. "Sorry, Joe."  
  
"But still, how are we going to find him?" Sora asked. She sat beside T.K, who really missed his brother.   
  
"Well, the most logical solution is that we split up in smaller groups. In that way, we can search much larger areas faster." Izzy suggested. He looked on his computer screen. "If one group goes west, another one goes south, and a third one goes north."  
  
"That sounds smart." Palmon said.  
  
"Of course it's smart!" Izzy smiled.  
  
"Whom am I going with?" Kari asked.  
  
"Hm... How about Kari, Tai and I. Then Sora and T.K, and Joe and Mimi. That is three groups."   
  
"Ok." Tai said. "We'll go north, Sora and T.K goes west, and Mimi and Joe goes south."  
  
"Let's split the food." Joe said.  
When they had packed, the digidestineds split up and went at north, south and west.  
  
  
  
  
[Back with Matt]  
  
Matt was resting his blond head against a tree. He and Tsunumon had walked for a long time, and the sun was already going down. The fire they'd made was burning brightly, but Matt shivered. He had goosebumps on his arms.   
  
"How are you feeling?" Tsunumon asked worriedly.   
  
"I'm fine. It's just a little chilly." Matt said.  
  
Tsunumon didn't say anything more about this, but he thought it was strange. 'I think it's pretty warm here, with the fire and all...' He looked up at Matt.   
  
"Matt you're shaking!"   
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"If you say so..." Tsunumon wasn't sure he was. He hopped closer to Matt, hoping that he could warm him. Matt closed his eyes and drifted away into a dreamless sleep.  
  
After about eight or nine hours he woke up. Tsunumon was already up. He was looking for breakfast, and had already found some fruits. Matt started to get up, but when he rose, the world started to spin around. He put his hand on his forehead, trying to make it stop. He got a shock. He was burning up! Matt slowly sat down again, and took a deep breath. He was still freezing.   
  
"What is it, Matt?" Tsunumon, who just came back, asked. He looked at his companion with concern.  
  
"I think I've caught a small cold. It's nothing to worry about." Matt said. He didn't want to trouble Tsunumon.  
  
"That's bad! You need to rest!"  
  
"No. It's better if we find the others at first.  
  
"But..."  
  
"I'll be fine! Don't worry about it. I promise I'll take it easy." Matt assured.  
  
"Okay."  
  
  
  
  
  
Plz review...  



	4. Chapter Four

  
And here it is... Chapter four... You read, you enjoy, you review. K'?  
  
  
  
"MAAATT!" T.K yelled at the top of his lungs. "Where are you?"  
  
"Maybe you shouldn't shout like that." Sora said worriedly. "What if some bad Digimon heard you?"  
  
"Ok. But how will Matt know we are looking for him if he can't hear our yelling?"  
  
"Um... I didn't think of that... Maybe if Patamon could fly up in the air and look around?"  
  
"Well, I could try, but I'm not that good at flying so I can't stay up there for long." Patamon said quietly.  
  
"Oh don't worry, Patamon! Even if you just looked around a tiny, small bit, it would be a great help!" T.K said positively.   
  
"Alright then!"  
  
Patamon began to flap with his wings. At first he didn't move, so he pressed himself to flap even faster and he gradually lifted from the ground.   
  
'Oh god' He thought, when he was over the trees. But then he remembered himself that a flying Digimon, even if the Digimon wasn't really good at flying, shouldn't be afraid of heights.  
  
He peered at the safe ground where T.K, Sora and Biyomon stood, and then raised his eyes and searched for whatever looked like Matt or Gabumon. He was just starting to fly down again when he saw a blond human slowly walk, maybe five or six kilometres away.  
  
"T.K! Sora! I can see him!" He yelled happily.  
  
"Where is he?" Sora asked.  
  
"Um... Almost six kilometres away. But we can catch up with him, he's not moving that fast." Patamon started to get tired and it was hard for him to keep himself up. "AAAAAH!" he cried when he fell towards the ground. Luckily T.K managed to catch him before he hit it.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Let's get a move on, and find Matt." Sora said and the four ones started to walk.  
  
  
  
[Now we're back with Matt and Tsunumon again...]  
  
"You doesn't sound very well, Matt." Tsunumon said, visibly concerned about his human friend.   
  
"It's okay *cough *, we humans sound like *cough * this when we get a cold." Matt said stubbornly.   
  
"Well, it still doesn't sound so good..." Tsunumon claimed. He looked at Matt, who was unusually pale and seemed a little dizzy.  
  
"I wonder if we're going the right way..." Matt thought loud.   
  
"Which direction should we be going at?" Tsunumon asked, looking up at the blonde.  
  
"I dunno... " Matt started, but the world seemed to be spinning again. "Ouh..." he moaned closing his eyes. "Tsunumon..." He peered weakly at his Digimon. His image started to disintegrate.  
  
"Matt? Matt! Answer me!" Tsunumon could only watch as his human partner fell to the ground, unconscious.   
  
"Please wake up, Matt!" he pleaded. Then he decided that the best thing to do right now, was to try and digivolve to Gabumon. If he were Gabumon right now, he would at least be able to move him. He closed his eyes and concentrated.   
  
"Tsunumon digivolve to... Gabumon!"   
  
Gabumon hurried to Matt and carefully dragged him to a big, old tree. The tree trunk was almost gigantic, with some sticks and branches growing out of it.   
  
Gabumon, who didn't exactly know how to take care of an ill human, lay Matt down in the shadow, hoping that it would help Matt's forehead to cool down and not be so extremely warm. 'Please get better soon, Yamato!' he thought sadly.  
  
Matt shivered. "Why isn't he waking up?" Gabumon wondered, and carefully tried to shake him awake again. It didn't work this time either.   
  
Gabumon laid Matt in his lap, in a try to get his cold, limp form warm. He wished he knew why Matt's body was so cold, and why his forehead was so warm. He was sweating now... Was that good or bad? 'Maybe he's thirsty.' Gabumon thought to himself. He got up and went off to find some water.   
  
"I'll be back before you even know I was gone." he said to Matt, though he knew he probably wasn't able to hear him.  
  
  
Will T.K, Sora, Patamon and Biyomon get to Matt before it's too late? Will they find the others again? Weeeell, find out in the upcoming chapter!   



	5. Chapter Five

A/N: Here in Sweden, the weather really sucks! Big Time!!! It's been raining in three days, and the thunder is really noisy. The lightning's is shining up the gray sky, and oh yeah, I almost forgot... It's HAILING!!! In June!!! It's supposed to be summer! ... Sorry about that... All I wanna say is that it's kinda hard for me to go outside right now, so I'll be writing some more. I haven't written a disclaimer on this story, so here it is: As you guys probably already figured out, I don't own Digimon. And if the people who does own Digimon sue me, they wont get so much money out of me. Maybe around 30 kr. That's about £ 2, or $ 3. Why I don't have more money? Well, I went shopping yesterday. So I've got a new pair of trousers! I like my new trousers... Um... oh yeah! You guys wanna read Chapter five, don't you! It's riiiight here... Read it! Now!  
  
"How many kilometres have we walked now?" T.K asked again.   
  
"I don't know. You asked me that like five minutes ago too." Sora said, a little annoyed. She knew that T.K only was worried about his big brother, and she was to, but couldn't he stop asking the same thing every ten seconds? She felt a little guilty for thinking that way. After all, T.K was just trying to help. And she had been rather jumpy since Matt walked away. She really liked him. *Really* liked him. And she knew (or thought) that Mimi had a thing for Matt as well.   
  
That made her a little depressed. Mimi was more attractive than her. If Matt would have to choose, he'd probably choose Mimi.  
  
'But you've got something to give too!' a tiny voice inside of Sora said. 'You're smart, and you're cute.' the voice continued.   
  
'But Mimi is charming' Sora thought.   
  
'You are too!' The small voice said.   
  
'No, I'm not!'   
  
'Are too!'  
  
'No!'  
  
'Yes!'   
  
Sora pushed those thoughts away. She was arguing with herself! That's just stupid. But she couldn't shove the thoughts about Matt away, so she let them stay in her mind.   
  
They kept on walking a long time, T.K kept on asking the same questions and Sora kept on trying to focus her mind on some thing else than who Matt liked the most; Mimi or herself.   
  
The sun was shining harshly and bright upon the D'D's.   
  
"I'm really thirsty." T.K winced with a tiny voice. He looked up on Sora with his puppy dog eyes. "Can't we take a brake and go search for some water, pleeaase?"  
  
"Oh, alright." Sora said. She just couldn't resist when T.K used that look.   
  
"I think there is a stream near us." Biyomon said. "Just follow me."  
  
The pink bird trotted away, with Sora, T.K and Patamon after her.  
  
  
The water was clear and refreshing. Sora filled a small bottle with it and drank greedily. T.K simply cupped his hands and drank it that way.   
  
"I never thought water could taste so good!" T.K said happily.   
  
Sora smiled, nodded and drank some more. Suddenly they heard a familiar voice.   
  
"Sora! T.K! Is that you?"  
  
  
  
Gabumon had went down to the stream to get Matt some water.   
  
'But I can't lift the water. How will I be able to get water to Matt if I can't transport it?' He cupped his paws and tried to hold the water in them. It was impossible! He could only get it to stay in his paws in some seconds!   
  
Gabumon drank some of the fresh liquid. It was so good! And he knew that Matt would feel better if he drank it. It's always good to drink a lot of water.   
  
'Oh, if I only could find a way to carry it to Matt!' Gabumon thought sadly.   
  
Then he heard something.  
  
Could it be...? Maybe...  
  
"Sora! T.K! Is that you?" Gabumon yelled happily.   
  
"Gabumon?" Sora asked as if she didn't think it was he.  
  
"Oh, Gabumon! Where is Matt? How is he?" T.K asked. You could tell from the look in his eyes that he was very exited about finding Gabumon and his brother.   
  
"Well..." Gabumon said looking at his feats. It felt like if T.K and Sora stared at him. "He's ill." He said nervously.   
  
"What happened?" Sora asked.  
  
"I don't know. We were attacked by this Knimon-guy and..." Gabumon realized something. Matt had said that the last thing he remembered was Knimon throwing some kind of attack at him. Maybe the attack made Matt sick!  
  
"And...?" Sora said.  
  
Gabumon had almost forgotten they were there. "It must have that last attack that made him ill!" he said, like if he just had answered the most complicated question in the whole world.   
  
"Is he hurt in any other way?" T.K asked, visibly concerned.   
  
"Not that bad. He's got a few small bruises and a big healing bruise in his side."   
  
"Where is he now?" Biyomon asked.  
  
"I left him over there" Gabumon pointed in some direction. "I was going to get Matt some water, and then I met you. But I don't know how to carry the water to him."  
  
"Maybe we can use my bottle!" Sora said holding up the small plastic bottle. She filled it with the clear water. "Let's go."  
  
Gabumon showed them the way to Matt. When they got to him, they saw that he was shivering worse than ever.  
  
"Matt!" T.K yelled running to him. "He's got fever."  
  
When Sora kneeled beside Matt, she took his hand and felt how cold it was.  
  
"Why is he lying in the shadow? He needs to be warm!" She said angrily.  
  
"I'm sorry... I thought that his forehead would get cooler if I laid him in the shadow." Gabumon said miserably.  
  
"Oh no, I'm sorry, Gabumon, I didn't mean to sound that irritatedly! I'm just worried about Matt." Sora apologized. "You couldn't know how to take care of a human with fever. Let's get him warm."  
  
They carefully moved the older blonde to a spot were the sun shined brightly.   
When the sun went down they placed him in Sora and T.K's sleeping bags. The night was pretty warm, so they didn't suffer.   
  
When the morning came they ate some fruits and drank of the refreshing water in the stream.   
  
"How are we going to find the others"? Patamon asked after they had eaten breakfast.   
  
"I haven't thought of that." Biyomon said, looking up at Sora.  
  
"I dunno."  
  
"How did you find us?" Gabumon asked.  
  
"Patamon flew up in the sky and looked around." T.K said simply.   
  
"Can't you do that again?" Sora asked.  
  
"I guess I could."  
  
"Good!" Gabumon said.  
  
Patamon flapped with his wings and this time it was easier to lift from the ground. After a while up there, he finally saw some thing. "Hey! I think I can see Tai, Izzy and Kari!" he yelled down. "Well, at least I'm sure I an see Tai's hair. I'm landing now!" Patamon made it without falling this time and he beamed proudly when he was on the safe ground.  
  
"Are they still headed for north?" Sora asked.  
  
"Yes, it looked that way."   
  
"How do we get in touch with them?" Gabumon asked.  
  
"I can digivolve!" Biyomon suggested.   
  
"Yeah, that's a good idea! Okay Biyomon!" Sora said loudly.  
  
"Biyomon digivolve to... Birdamon!" The Digimon shouted.  
  
Everyone except Gabumon got on Birdamons back.   
  
"I'll stay and look after Matt." he said. "Hurry!"  
  
"We will! See you soon!" Patamon yelled as the huge bird flew away. Gabumon watched until Birdamon and the others only were a small dot on the sky. He turned to Matt again and hoped that he and the others would be okay.  
  
  
You wanna read more of this? Then review it and wait for chapter six!   
  



	6. Chapter Six

If you've reviewed this: Thanks! Every time I see that someone has reviewed my fics, I get so happy!  
If you didn't review: Please do! But still, it's nice that you read this...  
And, sorry about the last A/N... I was in a bad mood... Well, well. It really was hailing though!  
Oooookay... Here comes Chapter six... Enjoy!  
  
  
  
"Look! There they are!" Patamon said. He was sitting on T.K's helmet as usual.  
  
"Taaaai! KARI!" Sora yelled. None of them reacted, except Izzy, who turned around with a puzzled look on his face. "IZZYYYY!" She shouted at the tip of her lungs. Izzy finally saw them there on Birdamon's back.  
  
"Sora?" he yelled back.   
  
"What's up with you, Izzy?" Tai asked, when he saw that young genius had stopped.   
  
"It's Birdamon!" Kari said, surprised.  
  
Tai peered up at the other digidestineds, because of the harshly shining sun.   
  
"What are you guys doing here?"  
  
The huge bird-digimon landed in front of them.  
  
"We've found Matt!" T.K explained, as he hopped down from Birdamon.  
  
"You have? Where is he?" Tai wanted to know.   
  
"Um... We left him with Gabumon. He's not feeling very well."  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Kari asked.  
  
"He's sick. An evil Digimon attacked him and Gabumon. We don't exactly know what happened, but that Digimon threw some attack at Matt and now he's got fever. He's practically burning up!" Sora said, hoping that Tai wouldn't get too bad conscience about it.  
  
"We were just flying here to get you." T.K said. "We promised Gabumon that we wouldn't be gone for that long."   
  
"Ok. Can you carry all of us, Birdamon?" Izzy asked.  
  
"I don't think so. You are to heavy together."  
  
"Do you think you can digivolve to Kabuterimon, Tentomon?"  
  
"Yes. Just give me a second." The kids and their Digimon waited until Tentomon was done.  
  
"Let's go." the gigantic insect said. Tai, Agumon, Kari, Gatomon and Izzy climbed up on Kabuterimon, while Sora, T.K and Patamon got up on Birdamon.   
  
'Why did I say those things to Matt? I knew I didn't mean any of it, and I knew that he would be hurt. And now he's sick and it's all my fault!' Tai thought miserably.   
  
When they got to where Matt and Gabumon were, Kabuterimon and Birdamon dedigivolved back to their rookie forms. Tai ran towards Gabumon, who stood waiting for them.   
  
"How is he doing?" he asked the dog-like Digimon.   
  
"Like before." Gabumon said.  
  
"And how is that?"  
  
"He's still not waking up, and got fever."  
  
Tai turned away. He was feeling so guilty. 'Matt's my best friend, and this is how I thank him?'  
  
"It's not your fault Tai! No one could have known that Knimon would attack him!"   
Gabumon said honestly. "And we shouldn't waste our energy by feeling guilty about it. Can you give me a hand with moving him?"  
  
"Sure." Tai said. He felt a little better after Gabumon's words.  
  
Gabumon showed him where Matt was lying. Tai understood that Gabumon wanted Matt to lie in the sun as long as it shined. The sun had probably moved under the time Sora, T.K, Patamon and Biyomon were gone.   
  
Gabumon took one of the sleeping bags he'd used for warming Matt and lay it down in the sun.   
  
"I thought that we could move him to this spot." he said. Gabumon trotted back to Matt again, and grabbed his feet. Tai grabbed his friend's shoulders. It was easier to lift Matt than he had thought.   
  
'He's really thin', Tai thought to himself. 'And pale.'   
  
They carefully put him down on the silky textile. Sora picked up the other sleeping bag and laid it over Matt's shivering body like a blanket.   
  
"How are we going to get in touch with Mimi and Joe?" Agumon asked.  
  
"I can try to contact them by their digivises. You know like I did with Mimi in that temple." Izzy said.  
  
"How are you going to do that?" Gatomon wanted to know.  
  
"I use my laptop."  
  
"As usual then." Gatomon said.  
  
Ignoring Gatomon, Izzy's fingers started to fly over the keyboard, typing as if tomorrow was Armageddon.   
"I've pinpointed their location. They're walking in the wrong direction." Izzy said. "They are walking south-west, instead of south. But that's actually good, because we're in the west." Izzy typed some more. "Now I can talk to them by the digivises." He cleared his throat. "Mimi? Joe? Can you hear me?"  
  
"Aaah!" Joe and Mimi's voices screamed in surprise from the laptop's speakers.  
  
"I guess that answers my question."   
  
"Izzy, is that you?" Joe asked.  
  
"Yes. I'm talking to you through your digivises. If you pick them up and talk nearer them, maybe I can hear you better.  
  
"Like this?" Mimi asked.   
  
"Yes." Mimi's voice sounded much better now.  
  
"Why are you contacting us?" Joe asked.  
  
"We've found Matt..."  
  
"Oh, that's great!" Mimi said cheerfully.  
  
"...And he's ill."  
  
"He is? What happened?"  
  
Izzy explained the whole story.  
  
"That's bad." Joe said worriedly.  
  
"You need to get here too. If the group is whole, it'll be safer. And since you are so close, you will be able to get here fast."  
  
"Are we close?" Mimi asked.  
  
"Yeah, right now you're headed south-west."  
  
"We are?" Joe said, confused.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I told you that we shouldn't have gone to the left by that rock!!" Joe said angrily to Mimi.  
  
"But now we are closer to the others!" Mimi defended herself.  
  
"Don't argue! I'll lead you two to us." Izzy said.  
  
"Okay."  
  
As Izzy talked to Mimi and Joe, about how to get to him and the others, Agumon helped Tai to light a fire. It was beginning to get dark. The digidestineds sat down around the fire and relaxed. It was nice to just sit there.   
  
"Do you think he will be okay?" T.K broke the silence. Everybody knew who 'he' was. They turned their heads towards Matt.   
  
"I'm sure of it." Gabumon said, though he wasn't really. 'I wish I knew how to cure him.' The lizard/dog-looking Digimon thought.  
  
'If he only knew how much I *like* him.' Sora thought, facing the fire. The dancing flames were reflected in her eyes. She looked at Tai. 'He isn't looking too good. I wonder if he's still feeling guilty.' She didn't know how right she was.   
  
'Matt, if I only could make it up to you... I'm so sorry.' Tai thought, tears forming in his eyes. He stopped them from running down his cheeks. 'I shouldn't cry. Gabumon is right. I really shouldn't waste my energy by feeling this way, when I can help Matt instead.' But it was too hard for him to shove those feelings away. 'Stop thinking that way, Tai! You can't turn back time. Though it's mostly your fault your best friend is sick... Shit, don't think that way! Matt wouldn't want you to think that way.' He looked deeply in the fire with his chocolate eyes.   
  
"Something's wrong with Matt!" Gabumon said suddenly, worry written all over his face. T.K rushed to his older sibling.   
  
"He isn't breathing! The small blond haired boy said with fear.  
  
  
  
Ooooh... What's going to happen to Matt? What will Tai, Sora and the others do?   
Review this, and you'll get the next chapter!   



	7. Chapter Seven

One chapter seven, coming right up!  
  
  
It felt like if an ice-hand just grasped Sora heart. "What?" she said quietly.  
  
"Oh, god!" Tai gasped, as he rushed to his friend. "Matt?" He grabbed the blond boy's shoulders and tried to shake him to consciousness. When that didn't work he bent down and blew air into Matt's lungs. "Please, Matt!" Tai pleaded and blew more air into his best friend's lungs. The brown haired boy felt he was close to tears, when he tried to make Matt breath again.   
  
The others just stood there, too scared or shocked to do something. 'Please, Matt, don't die!' Sora prayed inside her head. She watched with terror, how Tai desperately tried to make him breathe.   
  
Tai kept on blowing air into Matt' lungs and when he checked Matt's pulse, finally relaxed a bit. The boy was breathing. Tai held his friend close, afraid that he would stop breathing again.   
  
T.K hurried forward to his brother and Tai. He clung to one of Matt's arms, and simply sat there, hoping that Matt just could wake up. But he didn't. At least he was alive. The Digimon, and the humans gathered around them, happy that their friend lived.   
  
'When Matt wakes up, I have to tell him how I feel. I don't care if Mimi feel the same about him, I just have to tell him.' Sora thought, when she realised how close she'd been to loosing the boy she um... *liked*. No. Loved.   
'That's right.' Sora thought. 'I love him.' She blushed and hid her crest, which was glowing brightly between her hands.  
  
Later that night was everybody sleeping, except for Sora. She sat on the other side of the fire and looked on Matt.  
  
His golden hair shimmered in the light from the fire that still was burning.   
  
But he just lied there. On one side of him, T.K and Gabumon slept, and on the other was Tai and Agumon. Sora wished that she also could sleep over there, close to Matt, but if she got up now, she'd probably wake up the others. So she continued t lie between Biyomon and Kari.   
  
She looked over to the spot were Izzy was sleeping. He'd fallen asleep with his computer in his lap. Sora's eyelids felt so heavy, and after a while she'd fallen asleep too.   
  
  
Next morning when the sun rose and Sora woke up, all the other humans and Digimon, except Tai, who still slept beside Matt, had already eaten breakfast.   
  
"Don't worry, we left you and Tai some food." Agumon said, when Sora sat up. She yawned and stretched out her arms. The breakfast was one grilled fish and some water from the stream.   
  
"Tai's been sleeping for a long time now, maybe we should wake him up?" Gabumon said.   
  
"Yeah. I don't think he needs more sleep." Izzy shook the wild-haired boy gently, afraid that Tai would be in a bad mood in the morning.   
  
After a while Tai opened his eyes. It felt like if he had two plastic-supermarket-bags hanging under them. When he sat up an awful headache almost blew up his brain. "Uuugh..." he moaned, lying down again.   
  
"What is it?" Kari asked her brother.   
  
"Major headache", Tai simply replied, closing his eyes. He kept them closed a while, then said "but I'm okay..."  
"But what if you caught something from Matt?" Sora said with concern.  
  
"If I have, shouldn't you guy's have a headache too?" Tai asked. He looked around on the worried faces.   
  
"Well, he's got a point there." Izzy said.   
  
"What about the headache?" Agumon asked, looking worriedly on his human partner.   
  
"Maybe, it's just because of all the stress." Tentomon suggested.   
  
"That makes sense." Gatomon said.   
  
"So he'll be okay if he just rests a while?" Kari wanted to know. She was standing between T.K and her brother.  
  
"Sure!" T.K said, holding her hand.  
  
"Don't worry. You heard Tentomon. It's nothing." Tai said.   
  
"Ok. But you better eat breakfast now, then you should get some sleep." Sora said, sounding just like an average mother.  
  
"K´, mommy." Tai said.  
  
Sora just rolled her eyes and sighed.   
  
"Here you go." Gabumon said to Tai, handing him the last fish. After that, he went over to Matt, simply sitting by his side. Tai looked at him, and then started to eat the fish. It tasted good, and he noticed that he was pretty hungry. When he was done, he lay down and almost immediately fell asleep.  
  
  
'Ah, it felt good to sleep some.' Tai thought. He hadn't opened his eyes yet. 'Maybe I should sleep some more...' Tai could hear the others walk around and talk.  
  
'Tai?' A familiar voice said.   
  
'Matt?' Tai thought, a little shocked.  
  
'Oh my god, Tai! You can hear me?' Matt asked. He sounded a little scared.  
  
'What? I was thinking!' Tai said inside of his head.  
  
'But I can hear you!'   
  
'How is that possible? I'll go talk to the others.' Tai tried to open his eyes, but it didn't work. He tried to move his hand, but that didn't work either.   
  
'Matt, my body isn't responding on my commands!' Tai said with some panic in his voice.  
  
'I can't either. I've been lying here so long. I can hear you talking about me, but I can't feel my body, and not even move it!' Matt said. 'I don't know why.'  
  
'Don't you remember? Knimon attacked you, remember? You've got fever!'  
  
'Oh, yeah. Now I remember... I collapsed. But how can you talk to me? Are you sick too?' Matt asked.   
  
'I... Don't know...' Tai said. He wished that he just could wake up. 'But why am I thinking that way? Poor Matt's been lying like this for days! I've only been like this for a couple of minutes. And it was my fault Matt even got sick in the first place...'   
  
'No, don't blame yourself, Tai.' Matt said truthfully. Tai had forgotten that his friend could hear everything he thought. 'It's not your fault.'  
  
'Thanks, Matt.'   
  
'Do you think we're going to wake up?' Matt wondered, a feeling of hopelessness was creeping up his back.  
  
'I think so... What else could happen?'   
  
Matt was silent.  
  
'No. No, we're not going to die!'  
  
'I... I've been feeling kind of *weak * lately... It doesn't feel so good-'  
  
'Matt, you're not going to die, got that? I mean... You've been sick much longer than I have, but you have to stay alive!'  
  
'Okay... I'll try. You know me... Stubborn is my middle-name.'  
  
'I wish I could open my eyes.' Tai said.  
  
'Yeah... It's kinda annoying to hear them, but not being able to see what they're doing.'   
  
  
  
Sora sat by Biyomon and the others. They were waiting for Tai to wake up.   
  
"I can't wait any longer." Kari said. "I'll go wake him up."  
  
The others didn't complain, because they were sick of waiting too.  
  
Kari walked to Tai, who still lied on the right side of the blond boy.  
  
"Tai! Tai, wake up!" She shouted, shaking her brother violently.  
  
"Kari, take it easy... He might get angry." Agumon said.  
  
"You've never tried to wake Tai up, right?" Kari replied, shaking the older boy some more. "TAI! Wake up!"   
  
After a while she gave up. "He use to wake up when I'm yelling in his ears..." Kari starting to sound worried now.  
  
"Let me try." Agumon said. The orange Digimon started to shake Tai even harder. But surprisingly, he didn't wake up.  
  
Sora put a hand on Tai's forehead. "Oh, no! He's got fever too!" she said. "I knew that headache was a bad sign!"  
  
"Do you think he's caught the same disease as Matt?" Gabumon asked.  
  
"That's the most logical theory." Izzy said.  
  
Kari and T.K looked at each other. Now both of their brothers were sick and there was nothing they could do to help.  
  
Suddenly they heard a rustling noise from the bushes...   
  
  
Oh, C'mon, c'mon... I know you wanna read the next chapter! (Or I HOPE you wanna read the next chapter...) Anyway... Review this, pleasepleaseplease! And oh, yeah... Stay tuned for Chapter seven!   
  
  
  
  



	8. Chapter Eight

A/N: Yes, yes... I know I haven't written so many details in this story... But hey, I'm Swedish! Well, I'll try to make this chapter a little better (With more details and stuff, though it'll be hard, cuz' I don't know all the words I want to write in English, so I can't promise it'll be a big change...), and thanks for all the tips!   
  
  
The kids froze, staring in the direction, where the noise had come from.  
  
They sighed in relief when a pink dressed girl, a blue haired boy and their Digimon came out of the bushes.   
  
"Mimi! Joe!" Sora greeted, but her for the moment good mood sank quickly "Matt's not the only one who's sick now. Tai's also ill."  
  
"Oh, no!" Mimi gasped.  
  
"Where are they?" Joe asked. Sora showed them the place. Though Matt had higher fever, they had to take one of the green sleeping bags he'd been lying in to Tai. They couldn't afford to let Tai be as sick as Matt was now.   
  
"How did Tai become sick?" Joe asked, after he had inspected Matt.   
  
"We don't know." Sora said, with a helpless gesture. "At first he woke up with a headache, then he just fell asleep, like Matt, and he hasn't woken up.  
  
"What if we get infected too?" Joe said worriedly. "I mean, if Tai 'just became sick', what stops us from becoming sick?"  
  
T.K looked at his brother and Tai, then at Joe. "I don't care if I get sick. I just want Matt and Tai to be cured. "  
  
"Me too." Kari said, looking just as stubborn as T.K did.  
  
Sora gazed at Mimi. To her surprise, the girl wasn't looking at Matt. Mimi's eyes were fixed on Tai.   
  
  
The darkness overwhelmed him, but he couldn't open his eyes to se the sun.   
  
"Matt...?" Tai said quietly.  
  
"What?"   
  
"I don't like this. I don't like it at all..." Tai felt so helpless. But he had the crest of courage, so he just couldn't say it out loud. How scared he really was that is.  
  
"Me neither." The blonde boy said sleepily.   
  
"It's too dark, you know..." Tai whimpered.  
  
"I know, Tai. Don't be afraid. You'll wake up, when you get better."   
  
Tai didn't like the tone in Matt's voice. "Matt, you have to promise me that you'll get better."  
  
"I can't promise you that... I don't know for certain that-"  
  
"Just promise me, Matt!" Tai cut him off.  
  
"Okay. I promise."  
  
Tai relaxed a bit. "Can you hear Mimi and Joe?"  
  
"No... They're here?"  
  
"Yes, but why can't you hear them? You said you heard us talking before..."  
  
"I know. But I can't hear them now." Matt sighed. "Maybe, my fever's getting worse."  
  
Tai didn't answer. He didn't know what to say.   
  
"Tai? Why aren't you saying anything?"  
  
"What should I say?"  
  
"I dunno... Something."  
  
"What, like that my best friend's dying and it's my fault!?"  
  
Now it was Matt's turn to be silent.  
  
"I promised you, just a minute ago, that I'm going to be alright." Matt said after a while.   
  
"But, but... What if you can't keep that promise?" Tai's voice had the slightest waver in it, revealing how close to tears he was..   
  
"Take it easy... I'll keep it. Just stop crying, it isn't helping. I don't blame you for what happened. Just stop brooding about it, ok?"  
  
"Okay."   
  
"Maybe if you stop wasting your energy by feeling sorry, you'd get better?" Matt said, sounding positive.  
  
"Yeah... How do you think we're doing?"  
  
"Um, I don't know, actually. Good, I hope."  
  
"Are you sure you can't hear them?" Tai asked again.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure."  
  
"Okay... just wondering."  
  
  
  
As the dusk turned to night, the digidestineds and their Digimon went to sleep. Except for Sora, who still had trouble sleeping, knowing that Matt only got worse every minute.   
  
She worried about Tai too, but he wasn't as ill as Matt. Tai would soon wake up, she hoped. 'That's good', Sora thought, trying to get in a better mood. She looked at the two boys, lying in their sleeping bags. Tai's goggles had fallen off his head.   
  
Sora got up and went over to them. She lifted the goggles and put them around the wild haired boy's head again. She turned her head to see Matt lying limply on her right side. His golden hair seemed to shine in the gloomy light of the fire. She leaned forward, closer to his face, wishing he'd open those blue eyes.   
  
As she moved a little but further so she felt his breathing on her lips. "I love you, Matt..." Sora whispered. She couldn't stop herself. She stroked his spiky hair, closed her eyes, and let her lips brush over his lips in a light kiss.   
  
  
"Hey, Matt."   
  
"What is it now?" Matt said. "I'm trying to get some rest."  
  
"Sora. She said something... Maybe you'd like to know what." Tai said slowly.  
  
"No gossip, Tai. It's her own business and I'm to tired." Matt yawned silently.  
  
"But, Matt... It kinda is your business too, if you know what I mean..." Tai continued. He hummed, trying to get Matt's attention again.  
  
"Tai! Stop that! It's annoying." Matt yelled, but Tai kept on humming a little louder. "Argh! Okay, okay! Spell it out."  
  
"Sora's in love with you."  
  
"Don't joke about stuff like that." Matt said, mentally blushing.  
  
"She said it herself!"   
  
"Really? She did?"   
  
"Yeah!"  
  
"Um..."  
  
"Sooo, do you like her too?" Tai asked curiously.   
  
"Um... I-I think so..."  
  
"That's great!"   
  
"Yeah", Matt said with a smile.  
  
  
  
"Sora?" Mimi asked, patting the redhead's shoulder. "Sora? Breakfast's ready."  
  
Sora had fallen asleep beside Matt. As she started to wake up, she remembered the kiss. She blushed a bit, and opened her eyes. Or tried to open them. They remained closed and Sora realized that she couldn't even feel her body.   
Panic rushed through her mind when she heard Mimi yell to the others that something was very wrong about Sora.  
  
  
  
  
Plz review...   



	9. Chapter Nine

A/N: Hm... I'll try to do this chapter longer... And: PLEASE REVIEW!!!  
  
  
  
"Where am I?" Sora thought groggily.  
  
"Sora!" Tai and Matt yelled in surprise. "You're sick too, now?" Tai asked confused. "How are the others?"   
  
"They're fine... But um... What is this? Where are we?"  
  
"I think we're just unconscious." Matt said. "Unconscious in some strange, odd, abnormal way..."   
  
'I wonder if he knows...' Sora thought, mentally blushing.   
  
"I know." Matt said. Sora almost jumped out of her skin.   
  
"I told him. I heard you say it." Tai said a little nervously.  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"Sora... I kinda like you too..." Matt said quietly. If he had been able to, he'd been looking down on his feet.   
  
"Why couldn't you hear me?" Sora asked Matt. If she and Tai could hear the outside world, why couldn't Matt?  
  
"I don't know... I just couldn't. I could hear the others before but now I can't. Maybe it's that fever thing. It could have gotten worse."  
  
Sora felt like if she had been punched in the stomach. She didn't want to loose the boy she loved, just when she'd found out that he loved her too.  
  
"You don't have to worry, Sora. I've already promised Tai I won't die!"   
  
As he mentioned the word 'die' Sora began to cry. "Oh, Matt! Don't die, please don't!" she sobbed.   
  
To this Matt almost panicked, he had just tried to calm her down, and she began to cry!   
  
"Don't cry, Sora!" He wished he could give her a hug and comfort her but since they only could hear each other's voices in the darkness, he just tried to comfort her with his words. "Calm down! I'll be fine! And so will you and Tai."  
  
"Yeah... I guess. Tai is getting better already. Last time, when I was awake, when I checked his fever, it was much better." Sora said, trying to sound positive.  
  
"Phew! I'm longing for food." Tai said. "Then we should be waking up soon, huh?"  
  
"But Matt's getting worse." Sora said quietly.  
  
"I am?" Matt asked.   
  
"Oh, no!" Tai whispered. "You have to fight it!"  
  
"Don't you think I've tried that?"  
  
"I think it's because that Matt was infected by Knimon. And Matt infected Tai and me, so maybe the virus changed in some way when it got to Matt." Sora guessed.  
  
"You sound like Izzy." Matt said. He felt tired again.  
  
  
  
  
"She's sick too... But why?" Joe said, carefully laying a hand on Sora's hot forehead. "Is this disease just spreading uncontrolled? Because if it does, it's pretty bad."  
  
"What if it spreads by some kind of contact?" Kari suggested. "Cuz' when Matt wasn't breathing, Tai did CPR..."  
  
"But how does that explain Sora being sick?" Mimi asked.   
  
"I didn't think of that..." Kari sighed.  
  
"Maybe, he stopped breathing again?" T.K said.   
  
"If that happened, Sora would've woken us up. She doesn't know CPR." Izzy said, while typing on his precious laptop. "And if the disease spreads by mouth-contact, maybe she did something else?"  
  
"Like what?" T.K wondered, looking confusedly on Izzy.  
  
"Like... Um..." he said, turning red.  
  
"Like kissing him? Of course! I knew it!" Mimi yelled. "Sora's got a crush on Matt!"  
  
"She does?" The others said, visibly surprised.  
  
"Haven't you noticed that?"  
  
"Um... No." Joe said.   
  
  
  
"Matt, Sora!" Tai said. "Wake up you guys! How can you sleep so much?" Both Sora and Matt had been sleeping. Sora, mostly because she'd just gotten the fever. Matt, mostly just being tired.  
  
"What is it, Tai?" Sora asked sleepily.  
  
"I feel um... kinda strange..." Tai said.   
  
"Okay, what feels 'um... kinda strange?'" Matt wondered.   
  
"I don't know, really... But it feels like I can almost feel my body again!"  
  
Both Matt and Sora was wide-awake in a second. "You can!?" they yelled.  
  
"Yeah! Maybe I'm about to wake up!"  
  
"That's great, Tai!" Matt said.  
  
"Maybe the others have found a cure for all of us!" Sora suggested.  
  
"I think I'm waking up now!" Tai said joyfully. His voice seemed more distant now than before.  
  
"Bye!" Matt and Sora said. "Good luck!"  
  
"Bye! See ya!"   
  
"Say hello to TK and the others from us!" Matt yelled, but his friend was already gone.  
  
  
Suddenly Tai was aware of the world. Such a wonderful feeling! He could smell the forest, and when he slowly opened his eyes, he saw his friends. They weren't looking at him for the moment. Tai slowly inhaled the fresh air. 'Man, I never knew how good it was to breathe!' he thought happily. 'Maybe I should say something to them?' But when he tried to, all he got out was a strange croaking sound. He remembered that he hadn't spoke in some time. But at least they heard him.  
  
"Tai?" "Hey, you guys! Tai's awake!" "Tai!" the digidestineds cheered.  
  
Tai cleared his throat. "Hey..." he said a little weakly, feeling a bit worn-out after the time of unconsciousness.   
  
"I was so worried about you!" Kari said, hugging her brother.   
  
"I'm fine! How long have I've been out?"  
  
"About a week. Maybe a little less. How are you feeling?" Izzy wondered.   
  
"Still fine... Just tired. And hungry."  
  
"You should eat some then. You haven't eaten something in decades." Joe said.   
"I'll go fix you some food." he continued.   
  
Tai suddenly remembered Sora and Matt. "How are they?" he asked, pointing at the limp bodies of his friends.   
  
"Sora's fever is stable, but Matt's still getting worse." Izzy said. "We don't know how to cure them. You just got better and woke up. It looks like Sora is getting better too."  
  
"Oh." Tai said quietly. He lay down again.   
  
"Here's your food..." Joe said but almost tripped over a branch. "Whoa!" He screamed, but luckily, he didn't drop the food.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I'll write another chapter soon and please review this one!  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. Chapter Ten

A/N: I don't know what to write, except that I ate ice cream (Vanilla, strawberry AND pear. Yummy! ^_^). So I'll just get on with chapter ten. Oh yeah... Sorry that I haven't written on this fic for so long time, but I had a lack of ideas and I was out of town for a week. Sorry I kept you waiting.   
  
  
  
"Sora?" Matt whispered, not wanting her to wake up if she was asleep.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Sora I like you... Really like you... Love you." he blurted out.   
  
"Matt... I love you too." Sora said sincerely.  
  
"I just wish that I could touch you."  
  
"Me too." She hesitated. "Matt, do you want to know why I think I got ill?"  
  
"Sure... Why?"  
  
"Because I kissed you. Please don't be mad at me!"   
  
"I'm not mad at you!" Matt said mentally blushing. "I just wished that you could have waited until I was cured. Then you wouldn't be sick."  
  
"I just couldn't stop myself..." Sora giggled.   
  
"Well, we could do it again sometime!" The blond chuckled, but stopped abruptly, gasping in a sudden pain.   
  
"Matt? What happened?" Sora asked, her voice trembling.  
  
"I don't know... Argh..." He wailed again.  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_   
  
  
"Ah! Something's wrong!" Tai shouted, pulling away from Matt. His friend was floundering uncontrollably, panting like a madman.  
  
"Hold him down! He might hurt himself!" Joe yelled, as Matt's foot accidentally kicked his shin. "Or us!" he winced.  
  
Joe, Mimi and Izzy tried to hold Matt still on the dusty ground, but then his breaths only got worse. They went from pants to gasping coughs.   
  
"Matt!" TK yelled when the older blonde's body suddenly went very stiff and he sat up, causing Mimi and Joe to fall backwards. His eyes were wide-open and clouded. Then his body just went limp again and he fell helplessly down on the hard earth.  
  
"What happened with him?" Mimi asked uncertainly. He got on her feats and started to brush the grass and dirt of her pink dress.   
  
"I dunno. But I'm sure that it was some kind of seizure, caused by that fever." Izzy stated, giving Joe a helping hand to get up.   
  
TK slowly brought himself closer to Matt. His brother's eyes were still open, but it didn't seem like they were seeing anything. They weren't looking like they used to do. They were so clouded... and distant. TK's under lip was trebling, and he let out a quiet sob. He felt a hand on his shoulder.   
"I'm worried about him too." Tai said comfortably. "He'll be okay, TK. He just needs a little more time than me and Sora."  
Tk nodded unsurely, closing Matt's eyes by gently pushing down his eyelids.  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_   
  
  
"Matt?" Sora called. "Matt, are you okay?" What could have happened to him? One moment he's fine, the next, he's out of breath in pain! This just wasn't good...   
  
"Sora..." A muffled voice said.  
  
"I'm right here."   
  
"What happened? I'm so tired."  
  
"I don't know. Maybe you should get some sleep then. I'll be here when you wake up." Sora said in a soothing tone.   
  
"Okay." Matt said and after a few minute he had drifted away to sleep.  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
  
  
"We have to get Matt to a hospital." Joe stated. He was standing beside Izzy, who was looking extremely puzzled.  
  
"But there isn't one single hospital in the entire continent!" Mimi said with a concerned voice.   
  
"Maybe we can take him to Piximon?" Izzy suggested.  
  
"That's way too far away. I'll take an eternity, and we don't have that much time." Joe said.  
  
"Well, what are we going to do then? Sit around and wait?" Tai questioned, sounding very annoyed. He was sitting on a small rock by Matt and Sora. None of them had made a single sign of waking up.   
  
"Calm down, Tai!" Kari said, lightly tugging his blue sweater, but then gasped in fear when some old, high trees fell, causing the ground to shake. Out of the bushes came a gigantic, red dinosaur Digimon.  
  
"It's a Tyrannomon!" Palmon shouted, running over to Mimi.  
  
"Matt!" Tk yelled, turning around running back towards the limp form of his brother and Sora, who still was lying motionless by their soft sleeping bags.   
  
"We have to get them into safety!" Tai screamed.  
  
Joe nodded, and he and Tai sprinted to their friends.   
  
"Tk, run to Izzy and the others." Tai said.  
  
"But..." Tk began but was cut off by Joe.  
  
"Do as he says, Tk!"  
  
The small blonde finally gave in and started following the rest of the group with Patamon right behind him.  
  
Tai kneeled beside Matt and grabbed his shoulders.   
  
"Agumon! I need help!" he said, and the small orange dinosaur grabbed one of his feet. Gabumon hurried to them and gripped the other foot. Together they started running away from the huge Tyrannomon. Joe, Gomamon and Biyomon held Sora the same way, while loping away.  
  
"Where are they?" Tai screamed. They had stopped in glade. The digital jungle around them was looking almost impenetrable, but suddenly they heard a shout.   
  
"Over here!" Mimi yelled. Tai, Joe and their Digimon turned around and saw a small aperture under a large thick root. The kids ran towards the gap and quickly got inside. Outside, the Tyrannomon tramped around searching for the DD's roared, but then gave up.  
  
"Phew..." Izzy sighed. When he'd calmed down, he started to explore the cave. It was shadowy and a bit damp inside, but surprisingly big. The roof was about three or four metres high, and the room that they were in was maybe fifteen square metres big. There were dark openings in the walls, probably leading to other rooms.  
  
"Wow." Tai said, visibly amazed.   
  
"I think it's a bit creepy here." Joe whined.   
  
"You need to loosen up a bit. Take it easy, like me!" Gomamon said.  
  
"Maybe we can stay here for the night?" Izzy suggested.   
  
"Yeah, no bad Digimon can come down here, right?" Tai asked.   
  
"I think it's rather safe here. So what do you guys say?" Izzy said when he had stopped typing on his laptop. The others agreed, and started to roll out the sleeping bags and made themselves comfortable. Agumon made a fire, and Gabumon and Biyomon helped the humans with moving Sora and Matt closer to the warm flames.  
  
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'No, not now!' Sora thought. Matt was still asleep, and she had promised him to be there when he woke up. 'No, no, no!' She thought again when the feeling got stronger. It was almost tickling and if she hadn't been so determined to stay, she'd probably be tittering. But now it felt almost as if she'd cry.  
  
She couldn't leave Matt all alone again! It felt like if her entire body was covered with that tickling feeling now.  
'Wait a minute...' Sora thought. She could feel her body again! She opened her eyes slightly and couldn't help to feel happy about the scents and all the things she could see. Sora almost felt guilty for it, knowing that Matt was alone in that dark unconsciousness.  
  
She turned her head to the right and saw his golden locks in the dim light of the fire. His eyes were still shut.   
  
"Sora!" A young voice yelled, almost a little to loud. She closed her eyes and felt Tk's arms wrapped around her. "You're awake!" The small kid cheered.  
  
"Yep..." she simply replied and yawned.  
  
"Why are you shouting...? I need my beauty sleep..." Mimi said sleepily. Then she saw Sora and was wide-awake in a second. "Oh, you woke up! I'm so happy for you!"   
  
Sora smiled tiredly, and looked at Matt again. Her smile faded.  
  
"He'll be fine, Sora!" Mimi comforted. "I'm sure he'll wake up too."  
  
"But you don't understand! I promised--"  
  
"Shh! You need to rest!" Mimi cut her of.   
  
"Okay..." Sora said lying back into the soft silky sleeping bag. She sighed, and closed her crimson eyes.   
  
  
"KKKAABBBRAUUUCCCCH!!!" An awful ear-splitting rumble forced the DD's out of their sleep.   
  
"What's happening!?" Tai screamed as he got on his feats. Suddenly a harshly bright light filled the entire cave.   
  
"What is THAT?" Agumon asked, looking into the glow.  
  
"My eyes!" Mimi yelled.   
  
The light got stronger and stronger until they couldn't keep their eyes open. Then it gradually disappeared.   
  
As the kids slowly opened their eyes, the huge shining Digimon before them clenched its fists and grew ever bigger.  
  
"WHO are YOU, and WHAT are YOU doing in MY cave?"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Please review and stay tuned for the next chapter!!! I'll hurry up with it!  
  



	11. Chapter eleven

A/N: Here comes chapter eleven!   
  
  
  
The white-clad Digimon was furious and still growing. It looked like on of those small angels you used to do for Christmas in kindergarten, with its long yarn hair. On its back there was a huge pair of wings, which seemed to be made of plywood, and even stranger was the halo. It was glowing in an odd way and looked like a circle of cardboard.   
  
"Please don't hurt us!" Mimi spluttered, standing behind Palmon.   
  
"Don't worry, Mimi! I'll protect you!" the small plant like creature said reassuringly.   
  
"Who are you?" Tai demanded.  
  
"I am Trasdomon!" the enormous Digimon howled.   
  
"Trasdomon!?" All of the rookie Digimon gasped.  
  
"Who's Trasdomon?" Izzy asked.   
  
"There're many legends and tales about him. Everybody thought he was only a myth!" Tentomon said.   
  
"And who might you be?" Trasdomon questioned, gazing suspiciously at the DD's.   
"I don't think I've ever seen that kind of Digimon before." he continued, pointing towards the kids.  
  
"We're not Digimon." Joe explained shakily. "We're humans."  
  
"Yeah! We're the DigiDestineds!" Tai said.  
  
"Humans, you say... DigiDestineds... I don't believe you. The DigiDestineds are only fairy tales."  
  
"But it's true!" Mimi piped up. "And by the way, everybody seemed to think you were a fairy tale!"  
  
"You can't fool me! I'm no idiot!" Trasdomon hissed, slightly annoyed.   
  
"Then can you explain this, huh?" Tai said even more irritated. He held up his crest, which glowed dimly. Trasdomon gasped.  
  
"The crest of courage! How did you get that? Where're the other crests?"   
  
"I've got the crest of reliability." Joe said and held up his crest.  
  
"Mine's the crest of sincerity." Mimi stated proudly and showed the Digimon her crest.  
  
"Mine's the crest of knowledge." Izzy said holding up the crest.  
  
"I've got the crest of hope!" "I've got the crest of light!" Tk and Kari said at the same time. They beamed at each other and showed Trasdomon their crests.  
  
"Okay, I believe you." the doll like Digimon said. He shrank to the size of a kid. He was almost just as tall as Joe now. "Sorry I doubted you." Trasdomon smiled. Then the expression on his face changed, just like if he remembered something. "Where's Love and Friendship?" he asked.   
  
"Oh, I've got the crest of love." Sora said holding up the crest. She was still sitting by the fire, looking tired.   
  
"And Friendship? Where's Friendship?" Trasdomon looked around. "Where's Friendship?"  
  
"Matt's ill... He was attacked by this Knimon guy and-" Tai began but was cut off by Trasdomon.   
  
"Knimon!?" Trasdomon gasped. "I defeated him a long time ago, and during that fight, I was trapped here, inside of this cave! Which attack did he use on Friendship?"  
  
"Um... I think it was 'Chilly Infection'-" Gabumon said and again, Trasdomon cut him off jut like Tai.  
  
"Oh, that's bad!" he yelled.  
  
"Yes, we know that's bad." Tai snapped.  
  
"Don't be so grumpy, Courage." Trasdomon said, looking a little bit hurt.   
  
"Where's Friendship?" he asked once again, ignoring Tai's stabbing looks.  
  
"My brother's over there, in the sleeping bag." Tk said walking over to him.   
  
"Thank you, Hope." Trasdomon said following the small blond.   
  
"He's pretty strange, don't you think?" Tai whispered to Agumon.  
  
"Yes, but I know we can trust him." The small orange dinosaur whispered back.  
  
"Hm... Hm..." Trasdomon hummed while looking at Matt. He gripped the boy's nose, pulling it to the left, then to the right. "Hmmmm..."  
  
"Why are you pulling his nose?" Kari asked gently.  
  
"I don't know... Hm... Hm..." The marionette looking creature said slowly, not looking up.  
  
"Well, what DO you know then?" Tai questioned. He was really aggravated with this weird and muddled Digimon.  
  
"I know that you shouldn't be so GRUMPY, Courage!" Trasdomon yelled, tears forming in his sea green eyes.  
  
"Don't cry, Trasdomon! Tai, say you're sorry!" Mimi said.  
  
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry."   
  
"Oh, it's ok! So we're friends now, aren't we, Courage!" Trasdomon hugged Tai closely.  
  
"Um... Sure. Don't call me Courage." Tai wheezed.   
  
"But... But... Courage..." The immature Digimon whimpered.   
  
"Okay, you can call me Courage, just don't cry!"  
  
"Okay!" Trasdomon finally let go of Tai, who quickly jerked away to Agumon. "Now I have to help Friendship." Trasdomon stated. He sat back down on the damp floor in the cave beside Matt, and started to hum again. "Can I just ask two things?"  
  
"Sure." Sora said.  
  
"Okay. Why's Friendships hair much more fair than yours?"  
  
"That's genetic. I don't think I can explain it to you, because you don't have genes.  
  
"Oh. And how long ago was it that Love kissed Friendship?"  
  
Seventeen pair of eyes turned to Sora, who was blushing into a deep shade of red.  
  
"C'mon, Sora. Everyone knows about it." Joe said.  
  
"The same night I passed out." She said quietly.  
  
"That makes it six days, huh?" Izzy said.  
  
"Wasn't Tai out six days too?" Kari asked.  
  
"Okay. That's all I need to know." Trasdomon said turning to Matt again.  
  
"You know how to cure him?" Tk wondered, eyes wide of excitement.   
  
Trasdomon just nodded sadly.  
  
"So why don't you do so?" Sora asked. She got on her feats and went over to the Digimon.   
  
"I can't."  
  
"What do you mean 'I can't'?" Tai wanted to know.  
  
"I'm sorry, Courage, Love, Hope, Light, Sincerity, Knowledge and Reliability. I need the suns light to gain enough strength. When Knimon trapped me here, he placed a Razor Fist attack in the opening. I still can't get pass that knife like thing."  
  
"Maybe we can help you to get it out of there." Gomamon suggested.   
  
"You can!?" Trasdomon asked, his face lighting up.  
  
Gomamon looked up at Joe who gazed on the others. "I guess so..." he said carefully.   
  
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"  
  
"Where are those razors? I can't see them." Gabumon said, looking up from Matt's side.  
  
"They're buried under the cave's opening."   
  
"Okay, let's dig 'em up!" Biyomon said trying to sound positive.   
  
"Yeah, yeah..." "Whatever." "Sure..." were the replies from the others.  
  
They walked to the hole.   
  
"Do we have to dig with our hands?" Mimi whined, glancing at the other humans, who were shovelling dirt that way.  
  
"You've got your gloves, Mimi." Sora said.   
  
"But..."   
  
"C'mon, Mimi! Everybody else is helping." Palmon tried.  
  
"Aw, alright then. But I will not get my dress dirty. Do you know how much it cost?"  
  
"Yes, you told me that before. Just help me with the digging, ok?" Sora said, starting to scoop away earth.  
  
"Okay." Mimi slowly shoved away some of the mucky ground.   
Suddenly they heard a high-pitched scream.   
  
"Matt!" Tk cried.  
  
His brother was cramping again.   
"Friendship! Calm down!" Trasdomon yelled, trying to hold Matt dawn to the ground. "Ah!" he screamed, jerking away from the blond boy, as one of Matt's fists flew up. "He hit me!"  
  
"He didn't mean to." Sora said. She, Tai, Joe and Izzy ran to Matt's struggling body. His breaths were short and gasping, and his eyes flickered.  
  
"What's happening?" Tk sobbed.  
  
"Matt will be alright, Tk!" Patamon comforted, hugging Tk's wrist.   
  
"Oh my DigiGod! Please, Friendship, calm down!" Trasdomon pleaded.   
  
Matt's chest were furiously moving up and down as his panting became worse. The painful gasps of air were sounding more and more desperate and the spasms were weaker.   
  
"Matt...?" Tai whispered, looking worriedly at his friend, whose inhalation still was increasing. His muscles were tensing and the gasps turned into coughs.  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: PleasePleasePlease review!!! I luv reviews ^_^   



	12. Chapter Twelve

A/N: This is chapter twelve. R'R! R'R! R'R! And enjoy!!!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
"C'mon, Matt!" Gabumon murmured, but his digi partner didn't respond.  
  
"Shit...! Sora hissed. Her eyes were watering. All she could do was watch while her love suffered. She knew how much it had hurted him the last time, and she was sure that this seizure was worse. Sora cupped her hands around his head when his coughs became sharper. A tear fell down in his soft golden hair.  
  
"Shhh... shhh..." she whispered soothingly. All of a sudden Matt's coughs ended. But he didn't breathe like he should either. It was like if he was trying to inhale but there was no air.   
  
"What...?" Joe said slowly, feeling Matt's pulse. "I don't kno-" he began, but Matt's coughs cut him off. They were more violent this time, and a deeply red liquid came up with them.   
  
"Maaatt!" Tk screamed, running towards his older sibling, but Mimi stopped him.  
  
"Lemme go!" The small kid sobbed.  
  
"Shhh... I think he needs some space..." Mimi calmed him down.  
  
Matt's coughs decreased once again, but the blood kept flowing out of his mouth.  
  
"We have to get him up to a sitting position! Maybe he'll be able to breathe then!" Joe shouted, not really knowing why he shouted. But at least no one disagreed. They helped each other with putting Matt's limp body against the wall, and to every ones relief he could breathe.   
  
The DD's sighed, finally relaxing a bit. The rookie-Digimon were looking worriedly first at their digi-companions, and then at the limp form of Matt, leaning motionless against the cool stony wall.   
  
"He doesn't have that much time left." Trasdomon said quietly and broke the silence harshly, while watching the others from the little corner that he was sitting in.  
  
"What do you mean?" Tai asked, eyes wide.  
  
"C'mon, Tai. Even Tk's realized it!" Joe hissed, but then looked down on his shoes. He hadn't meant to sound so cruel. But it was the truth.  
  
Tai glanced at Tk, who was sitting by his onii-san, cheeks striped by tears. Tai *had* understood what Trasdomon said before and Joe's statement had made him realize it even more. He just didn't want it to happen.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean-" Joe started.  
  
"No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have denied it." Tai said, feeling tears welling up in his chocolate eyes and turned away. As he did, he found himself looking directly at Matt. He unwillingly let a whimper escape his throat, closing his eyes hard. But it didn't stop the tears from flowing.   
  
"Tai..." Mimi said in a sympathetic tone, resting a comforting hand on Tai's shoulder. That was too much for him. He jerked away from Mimi and ran out of the dark cave with its gloomy, depressing light.   
  
Tai didn't stop running for a long time. It felt better to run there, feeling the wind blowing in his hair, instead of sitting in a dark cave and watch his best friend die.  
  
But he couldn't run forever and he gradually slowed down until he was standing still. Those stubborn tears pricked his sight and he couldn't see where he was any longer. Honestly, he didn't care.   
  
Tai felt a sudden wave of anger wash over him and clenched his fists.   
  
"Aaargh!" he screamed, furiously banging them into a big, old tree. The tree didn't seem to notice him though. He hit it again and again until he felt his knuckles sting and throb violently. He held them up before his eyes and saw that they were bleeding. He narrowed his eyes and broke down in hysterical sobs.   
  
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"I'll go get him." Joe said, climbing to his feats.   
  
"No, I'll get him. You're the only one who knows a thing about medicine." Sora objected. She needed to get out of the cave for a while as well.  
  
Joe opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.   
  
"What if something happens when you're gone? You are the one who's the best at medical things and stuff."   
  
"Okay, okay... I see your point." The blue haired boy finally gave in.   
  
Sora walked out through the aperture, thankful for the shining sun. She hoped that the fresh air would help to get that awful headache away, though she knew that as long as she kept thinking about Matt, it would stay put. But Sora didn't want to stop thinking about him. Her head felt like an odd thumping overstuffed rucksack, while her throat felt strangely dry and soar, yet all juicy in some way.   
  
Sora decided to yell for Tai. It would take to long for her to search for him in any other way. She opened her mouth, but all she got out was a weird croak.   
  
Clearing her throat, she started walking off in the direction she thought Tai had gone.   
  
"Tai!" She cried, looking around for anything that could be him. All she saw was the high and leafy digital trees and the flowering shrugs. "TAI!"  
  
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"Tai!"   
  
Tai stiffened as he heard his name being called. It sounded distant though. Sora wasn't even near him yet. That was good. He didn't feel like talking to anyone. Maybe except Matt. But that was impossible, wasn't it?   
  
"TAI!" He heard Sora's voice again. This time it sounded closer to him. He curled up like a ball, drawing closer to the tree he'd abused slightly before and made himself as small as possible. Wrapping his arms around his knees he sat there pressing himself to the hard, embossed stem. The skin on his cheeks felt kind of stiff from the dried salty tears.   
  
"Tai, where are you?" he heard Sora yell. She was really close now, maybe even just behind the tree he was sitting by.   
  
Tai held his breath, sitting perfectly still.   
  
"Tai!" she cried, her voice cracking a bit.   
  
'No! I don't wanna talk to you. No! I want Matt to be here and tell me he's cured!' Tai thought, clenching his fists, making the scratches throb again. His lower lip shivered and he felt the tears forming in his eyes.  
  
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"I'm worried about Tai." Agumon said.  
  
"And I'm worried about Sora. Shouldn't they be back by now?" Biyomon wondered.   
  
"They'll be back soon." Kari sighed, looking over at Tk. He hadn't moved from his brother's side since Tai had left. Gabumon hadn't moved from him either. But all the crying and worrying had made the young girl drowsy and she was longing for sleep.  
  
Izzy sat typing on his laptop like usual, but had dark bags under his eyes. Mimi was crying, with Palmon beside her trying to comfort her. Joe was sitting by Izzy wondering if he should act strong or cry himself. Even Gomamon who was sitting in Joe's lap, was looking down.  
  
Trasdomon was gazing longingly on the caves opening. "Please... Please try to dig up Knimon's razors..." he pleaded. "I will be able to cure Friendship if I can get out of here."  
  
"There's no point to." Tk said. He hadn't said anything in a very long time and his voice was monotonous and numb. "They're probably buried like five metres under ground." he continued.  
  
"H-Hope? What are you saying?" Trasdomon asked staring at the blond kid's almost hollow-looking face.  
  
"That there isn't any hope for Matt left."   
  
The white skinned Digimon's face went even paler, if that's possible. "No, you mustn't say that!"  
  
"Why?" Tk said turning back to his brother again.  
  
"Light? Please make him see that there's still hope left..." Trasdomon whimpered. There was no answer. "Light? Light!"  
  
Kari slowly got her eyes open.  
  
"What is it?" she yawned.  
  
"You have to make Hope feel better!"  
  
Kari leaned back to the ground again and sighed. "I'm too tired." She said, closing her eyes.  
  
"So the prophecy comes true, after all." Trasdomon said (his green big eyes shuddering in that typical anime way, when the character is close to tears).  
  
"What prophecy?" Izzy asked, looking up from the laptop.  
  
"You want to know?" Trasdomon asked with new hope in his voice. Izzy simply nodded.  
  
"Okay!" The doll looking Digimon said merrily. "You see, ever since I was a digi-baby in the primary village, I've hears all kinds of stories and prophecies about the legendary DigiDestineds. Many of them were too scary for a little digi-baby, but I used to eavesdrop when the older Digimon told each other the tales. The stories were telling about the eight human children who would save our world when evil was in it." Trasdomon said with enthusiasm, making the story more interesting by doing all kinds of gestures with his hands. "They were Courage, Light, Hope, Friendship, Love, Reliability, Sincerity and Knowledge. And of course their Digimon. Do you want me to tell you about the prophecy I am fearing will come true?"  
  
"Yes, please." Izzy said. He felt how some of the depressed feelings almost magically were lifted of his back.  
  
"Okay. This was for some reason my favourite. So I've memorized it. This is how it goes." Trasdomon made a quick pause, clearing his throat. "Courage will lead the way. Light and Hope will ease the other's burdens. Trust will form Reliability and the Sincerity among them will grow. Love shall bliss them, and Friendship will bond them all together.' So now when Friendship is ill... dieing, I fear that you and your friends will loose their characteristic crest qualities. And if that happens, the whole DigiWorld will be doomed! I can't let that happen! *We* can't let that happen! Please, Knowledge, you and Tentomon must get those Razors away from the ground under the aperture!"  
  
"We can try, but I don't think that me and Tentomon will make it in time if we're alone." Izzy said.  
  
"Don't think in those terms. Nothing is impossible!" Trasdomon said, trying to lighten Izzy's spirit.   
  
"I-I don't know..." Izzy hesitated, gazing at the hole they had started to dig before. "It looks pretty impossible... Maybe Tk was right after all." He felt the same melancholy feeling wash over him again, making him just want to lie down and sleep or simply sit still and stare at something no one else saw. It felt so much stronger now. Too strong. Izzy felt his eyelids get heavier and heavier until he just couldn't keep them open.   
  
"Knowledge? Wake up... I need you." He heard a distant voice say.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: This chapter was a little bit longer that the others... Please tell me what you think about this story, and please tell me what you think about Trasdomon. I don't really know why I made him up (or I do actually... :-o ), so if you like him write that in your reviews. If you don't like him, tell me in your reviews too. I can always kill/destroy him otherwise *grins evilly * Mwahahahaha! *Clears my throat* Hrm... Maybe I won't update this story in maybe a week (again) cuz' I'm going away to my grandparents for the weekend. But then I'll write more! Promise!   
  



	13. Chapter Thirteen

A/N: Again, I'm sorry for not updating! But I've been so busy, and when I got back from my grandparents, I couldn't get access to fanfiction.net!!! That happens to me sometimes, so I've started to wonder if there's something wrong with every computer I use, or did that happen to you too? Hope there's still someone out there left who reads this fic! Well if there is, please review! ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
'No, don't cry now! She'll hear you!" Tai thought. He could still hear Sora's footsteps behind the tree he was sitting by. But he just couldn't help himself and felt his chocolate eyes watering up. They were already red with weeping.   
  
He sobbed quietly into his hands, hoping that when he looked up again, he'd be home in his bed, hearing his mother yell that breakfast was ready.   
"Mama..." he whimpered pathetically, curling up into an even tighter little ball, feeling so extremely homesick and small as a person probably could feel.   
  
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All she could see was the thick-stemmed trees and green shrubs. She would never find Tai! Sora filled her lungs with new air and shouted his name again, but just as the other times, the reply was nothing.   
  
She sighed and turned around to leave. But suddenly she heard something. She couldn't hear exactly what it said, but she knew that the sound wasn't from a Digimon.   
  
Sora stood perfectly still, hoping that whatever or whoever made that noise, would make one again.   
  
There it was! She swung around, gazing suspiciously on the large-sized tree that stood in front of her, and then slowly flattening herself against the rather chilly trunk.  
  
"Is someone there?" She asked, making her voice sound strong and self-continent.   
  
No answer.  
  
Sora swallowed hard and gradually peeked out on the other side of the tree. At first, all she saw was other trees and flowers. There wasn't a sign of anything else. She closed her eyes and told herself that nothing dangerous was there, in a desperate try to calm her harshly pounding heart. 'C'mon, Sora, nothing's going to happen!'  
  
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"Is someone there?"  
  
'Shit!' Sora had heard him. 'Be quiet, Taichi.' He thought angrily to himself. He could hear that she still was there, behind the tree.   
  
Then he heard a small twig break. Tai turned his head in the direction he'd heard it.   
  
"Aargh!" Sora screamed crazily as she abruptly jumped out of the bushes, causing Tai to almost jump out of his skin. When she saw who was there, she stopped, visibly shocked.   
  
"Tai?" She asked. This wasn't the boy she had grown up with. His hair was in a mess and his dusty checks were striped with drying tears. And his eyes... They used to be so energetic, but now they were almost hollow looking.   
  
Tai fixed his eyes on something far away from Sora's concerned eyes that she couldn't see, thinking that he must look awful, even if her own crimson eyes were red and swollen as well.   
  
"Tai..." Sora said again, her voice full of concern for her long time friend. She rested one of her hands on his shoulder, but he jerked away from her, still refusing to look at her.   
  
"Go away. I don't want to talk to you." Tai mumbled, his voice a little distorted by all his sobs.   
  
"C'mon, Tai... We should be going back to the others." Sora said, sounding like she hadn't heard Tai's words, despite the fact that she felt rather hurt by them. The brown haired boy didn't answer. He just pulled up his knees closer to his chin.   
  
"You're not the only one who's sad, Tai!" Sora yelled, feeling a sudden anger towards him. "What, You don't think that Tk's sad? Or Joe, Izzy and Mimi? Or your own little sister? Kari. Don't you think she's sad? And do you make it better by just sitting out here in the woods? Or Matt himself? Being in such pain all alone. My god, don't you think I'm sad?" She screamed, feeling own tears prick in her eyes and slowly run down her cheeks. She simply stood there, heavily breathing, waiting for Tai to say something.   
  
But he didn't say something. He just sat there. Then slowly turning his gaze towards Sora, he broke down in uncontrollable sobs.  
  
Sora didn't know what to do. She had never seen him cry before, at least not like this.   
  
She tried laying a hand on his violently shaking shoulder again, and this time Tai didn't pull away. So she bent down and wrapped her arms around him, letting him cry into her sweater, while she was crying into his.  
  
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"And what about you then, Reliability? Are you going to turn everyone down too?" Trasdomon asked almost frenetically. But Joe was already in the same kind of strange 'paralysed-sleep'-trance as the others. The rookie Digimon were lying just as limp on the cave's grimy floor as Matt was.  
  
He was the only one who was conscious. Suddenly the dim light in the cave gradually disappeared. It seemed to be somehow sucked into the crests of the Digidestindeds. The air felt almost sticky against the Digimon's skin. Trasdomon turned around in panic and gasped. The crests around the kid's necks were darkening! Trasdomon cupped his hands over his mouth. 'No, this mustn't happen!'  
  
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"Tai? Tai, we need to go back... We have to help the others with digging up those razors" Sora said, gently patting her friend's shoulder.   
  
"I-I don't want to..." Tai hesitated, his voice was only a barley hear able whisper.   
  
"What do you mean?" Sora asked, confused.   
  
Tai didn't answer. He just stayed put when Sora tried to drag him to his feats in his arm.   
  
"What?" Sora asked again, letting Tai's arm go. Tai didn't move. He didn't even look at her.   
  
"You mean... You're not... No..." Sora said faintly. "Tai, you have too! We need your help! Matt needs your help! Why don't you want to help him?" she then screamed, letting more tears flow down her cheeks.   
  
"I don't have the... courage..." Tai whispered, his lip trembling.  
  
"Yes, you do, Tai! Don't you remember your crest, the crest of courage?" Sora was feeling so hopeless now. If even Tai didn't have courage enough to help Trasdomon heal Matt, who had? Then she saw a dark spot under Tai's sweater. "W-What's that?" She pointed on the spot. Tai finally made a move, and picked up his crest.   
  
"What? My crest..." The crest was darkening more and more. "I guess this proves I'm not so brave after all..." he said, feeling his eyelids getting heavier and heavier.   
  
"Tai? Tai! Wake up, Tai!" Sora yelled, shaking the brown haired boy. 'No, no, no, no, no!" She kept on thinking. 'Matt...' She felt her heart ache in her chest. She felt some sort of weariness come over her. But she shoved it aside.  
  
"I'm going back to the cave, Tai! And if you don't dare to come, I'm going anyway! Hear me? I'll help Matt, even if I have to dig in a year to get those razors up! And do you know why?" Sora asked, looking Tai straight in his eyes. "Just because I love him! You hear me? I love him!" And with that, the crest of love began to glow. Then the glow changed into a flashing light, shining clearly in a bright red colour.   
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Will Sora's love be enough to save Matt? Will the other digidestineds ever regain the power of their crests? Wait for the next chapter and find out!  
Please review.   



	14. Chapter Fourteen

The Meaning Of Friendship: chapter fourteen!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Trasdomon sat maybe two metres from the aperture. Pensively, he gazed out, hoping that the humans would wake up from the strange trance they were in.   
  
Friendship was still leaning limply on the cold grey wall, with Gabumon and Hope dazing beside him.   
  
Then the Digimon heard a muffled cough. He turned around and saw more of the dark red liquid come out of Friendship's mouth. What was it that the other humans had called it? B... Bl... Oh yes; now he remembered. Blood.   
  
The dummy-looking creature reached out a pale, white clothed hand and wiped away the blood from Friendships face, just like he'd done many times before only this hour.   
  
Suddenly, a red glow filled the cave. Trasdomon gasped in horror and swung around. He saw a red beam of light from the woods. Then the beam flashed out, making the entire world seem scarlet for a second. Then it rapidly disappeared, leaving most wild little Digimon outside the cave stunned.   
  
"Love... She made it!" Trasdomon whispered.   
  
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"W-What happened?" Sora asked shakily. She held up her hands, looking at them suspiciously. They were still covered with a red aura. As a matter of fact, her entire body was surrounded by the warm aura.   
  
"I dunno..." Tai said, staring at his long-time friend. He got up, feeling a bit unsteadily, because he'd been sitting for such a long time, and walked over to her.   
  
He carefully poked on her arm. His fingers went through the red gleam like if it wasn't there.  
  
"I don't think it's dangerous in any way... It doesn't hurt or anything." Sora said, inspecting her red-glowing body. As a matter of fact, she felt some sort of power, no, energy come from it, making her feel stronger, both physically and mentally.  
  
"I have to help Matt now..." Sora said, looking at Tai.   
  
Tai nodded.  
  
"I-I am coming too." The brown haired boy took a step forward. 'If Sora believes she can do something, I can too. After all, Matt would never let me down if it was me who was lying there instead of him.'   
  
"You are? I mean-" Sora was cut off.  
  
"I don't know what came over me. But I guess it's not so important now, because what's most important now, is to get Matt cured." Tai said, watching something on the ground, Sora couldn't see. He then looked at her and smirked. "Let's go."  
  
"Okay." Sora smiled.  
  
She turned around and started walking in the direction she thought that the cave was in with Tai right behind her. Suddenly, she heard him gasp. "Tai?" She asked.  
  
"My crest!" Tai held up the orange glowing item. He beamed happily and then the crest's glow changed into the same sort of flashing light as Sora's crest of love had done, but this light was in Tai's crest colour. The luminosity grew stronger and stronger until the two humans couldn't keep their eyes open any longer.  
  
Tai felt the mild, tickling shine cover his body, making him want to laugh or just jump up and down.   
  
He opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that the world seemed different. It seemed orange. Tai realized that he had the same sort of aura around him that Sora had. Only that his aura was orange.  
  
"Wow..." he whispered, looking at himself.  
  
"Yeah, I know... But we really have to hurry back to the cave now. The others are probably worried too." Sora said. Tai nodded and together they ran through the thick forest towards the cave.  
  
After around fifteen minutes, they saw its opening.  
  
"LOVE!!! COURAAAGE!!!" an energetic voice shouted from inside. A pale Digimon sprinted towards the aperture, only to be forced backwards again by the buried knifes in the ground.   
  
"HEY!" Tai yelled, not even the least out of breath, thanks to the energy-giving light.  
  
"Oh, you're finally back! You're finally back! You made it! You both did!" Trasdomon babbled happily as Sora and Tai got into the cave.   
  
"Made what?" Sora asked confusedly.  
  
"You made the crest's energies come out! See?" The Digimon held up Tai's glowing hand. Tai quickly pulled his hand back, and looked around in the gloomy cave.   
  
"What happened to our friends?" he questioned.   
  
"What would have happened to you too, if you hadn't gotten your crests to open up." Trasdomon said, looking down on his feats. "It's because of Friendship. I'll explain it to you later."  
  
Sora hurried over to Matt. She kneeled beside him and gently pushed away some blond locks of hair from his eyes.  
  
"I hope you're feeling better, Yama-chan..." She whispered though she knew he couldn't hear her any longer.   
  
"Can you please wake up your Digimon partners and move Knimon's razors?" Trasdomon whined, visibly tired of waiting.  
  
"Sure. Um... Agumon, wakey wakey..." Tai poked the sleeping lizard like creature. He sighed, realizing that it wasn't working. He then pulled of his glove, not really knowing why. Slowly, he reached out his hand and laid it on Agumon's forehead. For a second, nothing happened. Then the orange light suddenly flashed brightly, and wrapped itself around the rookie's body. His green eyes snapped open.  
  
"Agumon digivolve to... Greymon!!!" he yelled.  
  
"Whoa!" Tai screamed, surprised by Agumon's sudden change of size.   
  
"Tai, are we in danger? Why did I digivolve?" The giant dinosaur asked, careful not to bump his head in the roof.  
  
"Um..." Was the most intelligent thing Tai could say.  
  
"Oh, there's so much energy! I think it's coming from you, Tai! AARGH! I! HAVE! TO!..." Greymon screamed.  
  
"Get him out of the cave!!!" Tai shouted, and Trasdomon and Sora helped him with escorting Greymon outside as fast as possible. Trasdomon had to stay inside though.  
  
"GREYMON DIGIVOLVE TO... METALGREYMON!!!" The dinosaur Digimon roared, as he grew even bigger.  
  
"Why does he keep on digivolving?" Sora wondered, looking at the huge Digimon in front of her.   
  
"It's got to be because of this um... crest energy!" Tai said. "Try to wake up Biyomon by taking off your glove and touching her with your hand!" He suggested.   
Sora nodded slowly and went back into the cave. A moment later, Tai heard yelling from inside of the cave. Then an oversized orange bird flew out of the aperture. Sora was right behind it.  
  
"It worked." She said as the Digimon started digivolving again.  
  
"BIRDAMON DIGIVOLVE TO... GARUDAMON!!!"  
  
"Maybe they can help us to dig those knifes up?" Tai thought out loud, scratching his big haired head.  
  
"That's a good idea." Sora replied.  
  
"MetalGreymon! Can you get those razors up for us?" Tai asked and pointed towards the opening. Just as MetalGreymon was about to answer, Tai felt a sharp pain cutting into his arm. A large metallic blade landed beside him. A few drops of blood covered the jagged object.   
  
The wild haired boy swung around and saw another Digimon. Its grotesque features were covered with razors and knifes stuck out of its murky skin.   
  
"You'll never get them up. I will not allow it." It said with its threatening booming voice.  
  
"And might you be then?" Tai demanded, holding a hand over the stinging wound in his arm.  
  
"I am Knimon." The sinister Digimon hissed, eyes fixed on the two Digidestineds...  
  
  
  
  
  
Please review! Please review! Please review!   
There is only one more chapter to go, and I'll make it a nice and long one! Please tell me in your reviews if you think I should write a short epilogue, thank you!!!  
  
~ThatGirl~  



	15. Chapter Fifteen

A/N: The last chapter didn't get many reviews... PLEASE REVIEW THIS!!! IT'S REALLY HARD TO KEEP ON WRITING WITHOUT ANY ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ME!!! And thanks to the few ones that did review the last chapter! I luv 'em ^_^!   
And I'm so sorry. This isn't the last chapter, like I promised in chapter fourteen. I had to split this chapter in two cuz it got *too* long.  
Anyway... Here's: The Meaning Of Friendship: Chapter fifteen! (yay!)  
  
  
  
  
"Knimon?" Sora yelled with rage. "Then it was you who infected Matt!"  
  
"True, little human, true." Knimon chuckled evilly.  
  
"Oh, if I just could get out of here I'd-" Trasdomon started but was cut off.  
  
"I haven't seen you in a long time, my friend. Don't think you will be able to save the Chosen Children from the prophecy. You're still trapped inside of the cave!" The virus-type said looking at Trasdomon who was standing as near the cave's opening as he could.  
  
"What prophecy?" Sora wondered.  
  
"Haven't you heard about it?" Knimon said in a teasing tone. "Then I'll tell you! What is it really that is binding the Digidestineds together? Friendship! You'd be dead without your precious bearer of the crest of friendship! You wouldn't last a day if the friendship between you died! And guess what? It won't be long until he does!"   
  
"Never!" Tai shouted. "Go MetalGreymon!"  
  
"Yeah, shut his mouth, Garudamon!" Sora followed.  
  
"Mega Claw!" MetalGreymon growled, but Knimon dodged it.  
  
"Razor Fist!" He screamed as four metallic blades came shooting out from between his knuckles.   
  
MetalGreymon managed to duck it and the razor-sharp items dove deeply into the ground.  
  
"Giga Blaster!"   
  
The dark, sinister Digimon blocked the fireball sending it towards the cave instead. When it hit the ground by the opening, a big hole was made.   
  
"Look!" Tai said, and four rusty, but probably still very sharp, knife blades flew up. They spun around a second in the air before they dissolved into small pieces of data.  
  
"Wing Blade!" a strong voice then called from above.   
  
A big firebird hit Knimon in the back head, sending him down to the ground and leaving him unconscious.  
  
"Cool!" Tai yelled.  
  
"Good job, Garudamon!" Sora said to her Digipartner.   
  
"Look! I'm outside!" They suddenly heard a happy voice cheer. "The sun! The sun! Ah, the sun!" Trasdomon continued to joyfully yell before stopping abruptly.   
  
"Friendship! I-I can heal him now!" And with that, the white clad Digimon dashed back into the cave, only to come out again in a few seconds, carrying the motionless body of Matt.  
  
He carefully laid the boy in the green grass on the ground.   
  
"Maybe you could get the other Digidestineds out too?" Trasdomon asked.   
  
Garudamon simply put a hand into the hole, and then pulled it out again, holding the still sleeping humans. After that, she did the same with the Digimon.  
  
Trasdomon bent down beside Matt and as he shouted "Healing Beam!" the blue sky seemed to lighten up. The sun swelled up, and then sent a lightning like ray of shining light into the Digimon's open hand. The sunbeam shaped itself like a glove around the hand and Trasdomon slowly, as if not wanting the glow to fade, put it on Matt's chest. The light around his hand spread over Matt's chest, then wrapped itself around his entire body.  
  
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Darkness... Cold... Alone...   
  
It had been long since Sora had left. Matt still couldn't feel his body except for some occasions. But all he was able to feel then was an intense screaming pain. He didn't know what it was that caused it. He was so tired.  
  
Suddenly, something made him feel his body once again. At first Matt thought it was another pain seizure, but no pain came. But there was warmth... It felt good...  
  
His azure eyes slowly fluttered open. There was a powerful white light around him. Surprised by it's strength, he closed his eyes again.   
  
When Matt finally opened them for a second time, he saw some kind of Digimon beside him. He realized that the warm light that had woken him up was coming from its hand. The Digimon beamed happily at Matt when he saw that he was awake.   
  
The blond boy inhaled deeply, still very tired, but not feeling so bad any longer.  
  
Then he saw someone else. Sora!   
  
The redheaded girl was gazing at him joyfully, but he could still see that she was worried about him. It looked like if she was glowing in some strange way...   
  
He wasn't sure, because he was still a little dizzy.  
  
Matt turned his head a bit to the right and saw a familiar face with big brown hair. Weirdly enough, Tai seemed to glow too, but in another colour. Tai smiled his ordinary goofy grin and Matt smirked weakly at his best friend.   
  
He saw that both Tai and Sora's lips were moving, but he didn't hear any sounds escaping them. He peered confusedly at the white clad Digimon and saw that it was saying something to his friends.   
  
'Where's Tk and the others...? And Gabumon?' Matt thought drowsily. He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was too dry and no words came out.  
  
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Sora gazed dreamily into Matt's eyes. She hadn't realized how much she had really missed them.   
  
Matt first looked at her, and then he turned his head towards Tai.   
  
"Hi, Matt! We was really worried about you for a while!" Tai said cheerfully.   
Matt got a puzzled face.  
  
"Matt, can you hear us?" Sora asked. Matt just gave her the same confused expression he'd given Tai.  
  
"The Healing Beam is blocking out all the sounds. Friendship won't be able to hear you until he's fully cured." Trasdomon explained.   
  
"Oh." Tai and Sora said at the same time. Both were a little disappointed with not being able to talk to Matt, but after all, the most important thing right now, was to get him better.  
  
"NO!" There was a loud roaring scream. "YOU WILL NEVER CURE THE CHILD OF FRIENDSHIP!!! NEVER!"   
  
Tai, Sora, their Digimon and Trasdomon swung around. It was Knimon!   
  
The huge darkish beast raised a hand.  
  
"CHILLY INFECTION!" He aimed the attack directly at Matt. A flashing grey circle was thrown around the defenceless boy. When it connected with the ground, the earth seemed to crack up and sent both other humans and the Digimon flying a few metres back.  
  
Sora groggily opened her eyes and gasped. The pale silvery circle was still surrounding Matt. It swiftly grew smaller and tightened itself around his body, then increasingly disappeared.   
  
When it was all gone, there was still a frail white light over the blond boy.  
  
"The Healing Beam took most of the damage, but it won't be able to protect Friendship if Knimon attacks again!" Trasdomon shouted. The string-puppet looking Digimon got on its feets and darted over to the boy.  
  
He seemed to be weaker already, and looked like if he was having a hard time trying to keep his blue eyes open.  
  
"You can't help the guardian of Friendship. You were weak already before you tried to heal him so you can't fight, you pathetic loser." Knimon hissed at Trasdomon. "If you surrender right now, I will spare your life. The Digidestined dies either way."  
  
Trasdomon just stood there, looking confused.  
  
"As you wish." The larger creature said simply. "CHILLY INFECTION!" Another grey lightning like circle was launched.  
  
The vaccine-type opened his mouth and eyes wide, and then threw himself in front of Matt's motionless body, taking the full blow.  
  
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Knimon... The monster that had infected him in the first place...  
  
Matt saw the Digimon's lips move, but just as before, when his friends had spoken to him, he couldn't hear a thing.   
  
Knimon raised his hands. A large powerful beam was shot directly at him. It changed into a flashing circle, surrounding him, choking him. When the attack connected with the ground, it looked like it blew up and the explosion sent his friends and the strange new Digimon flying backwards.   
  
But the grey circle was still there when the dust disappeared. It tightened itself around Matt's body and sent shivers down his spine.   
  
The warm sunny light that new puppet like creature had created, grew fainter, as if it had been damaged too.   
  
Tired...  
  
Matt felt how his eyelids started to close.   
  
'No!' he thought angrily, forcing them to open again.  
Suddenly the strange doll like Digimon he had seen before rushed to his side.   
Now when the white light had weakened he could hear some of the sounds around him, but they were somehow isolated, like if they were coming from far away.   
  
Knimon was talking again. Matt couldn't tell exactly what he said, but it appeared like he was speaking to the Digimon Matt didn't know.   
  
The mysterious Digimon didn't answer. And if he already had, Matt hadn't heard him.  
  
Knimon said something short with a shrug. Then he swiftly lifted his hands and made a sound, which to Matt, seemed to be a roar.  
  
The defenceless boy knew what was coming. He inhaled deeply and shut his eyes tightly, thinking that this was probably the last breath he would ever take.   
  
Matt heard a distant bang, but to his surprise, he exhaled just as if nothing had happened. 'What?' he thought, puzzled.  
  
Matt uncertainly opened his azure eyes. There was some sort of glimmering dust, dissolving above his limp body. As the dust disappeared, the white warming light around him did too.  
  
The blond turned his head to the right. Nothing. He then looked to the left. He saw his friends and their Digimon a couple of metres from him. But there wasn't a trace of the other white clad creature.   
  
Matt suddenly realized what that dust had been. But why? Why had the Digimon done that for him?  
  
"Matt!" Sora cried as she picked herself up and ran towards the feeble looking boy.  
  
Matt could see Tai behind her. He was staring at the last digital dust when it finally disappeared completely. Then, the brown haired boy turned his gaze to his best friend.  
  
"You okay, man?" he asked, concerned.   
  
Matt nodded weakly and swallowed. He felt Sora's hand on his own and opened his mouth to speak. But all he got out was a strange wheeze, and he swallowed again.   
  
"Shh, don't try to speak." Sora said softly.   
  
"I think he needs water..." Tai started, but stopped as the three digidestineds heard a loud malevolent laugh.   
  
"Poor fool! Didn't he understand that I was way too powerful for him?" Knimon hollered. "And don't you understand that I'm too powerful for you too?" He witlessly fixed his eyes on the children and let another laugh escape his thin lips.  
  
"You're not more powerful than our Digimon, you walking, oversized bed of nails!" Tai shouted, feeling both rage and fear of his own build up inside of him. Metalgreymon launched himself on the stronger Mega, but before they made any contact...  
  
"Metalgreymon digivolve to... WARGREYMON!"  
  
The huge Dinosaur's metal-horn bore itself into Knimon's stomach (which was one of the few places on his body that didn't have razor-sharp knifes sticking out), and sent him flying backwards, with Wargreymon still on top.  
  
After that, Garudamon threw an attack towards the virus-type, which hit him in one of his legs.  
  
Sora ran forward to see how their Digimon was doing better.  
  
Tai was almost ready to jump at Knimon, trying to beat him the worst he could by himself, when he was distracted by a sudden glow of pale blue.  
  
Confused, he turned around to seen Matt with a frightened expression on his face, reaching out a hand and trying to get to where he and Sora was standing.   
The glow was coming from small spot under his green turtleneck, where the blond boy had his crest of friendship hanging.  
  
In less than a second, the faint glow had changed in to a piercingly intense shine.   
  
Both Tai and Sora knew what was happening and shielded their eyes from the light.   
  
The light seemed to create a large ball around Matt's body. The ball grew bigger and bigger as the luminosity grew stronger.   
  
Matt gasped as he felt the new and welcomed strength. His muscles were tensing when he inhaled greedily and made an effort to stand up. It had been a long time since he last did so, so he swayed unsteadily for a moment but then quickly regained his balance.   
  
Sora beamed happily when he saw Matt. She peered through the harshly bright blue light and ran towards him, totally forgetting about Knimon.  
  
They called out each other's names and Sora hugged him closely and almost violently. Matt would have lost his balance if he hadn't wrapped his arms around her too, but he didn't really mind anyway.   
  
All Sora could think of was the bliss of being held close to the one she loved.  
The pale glow sent a ray of light towards Gabumon. It connected and the Digimon was for a second surrounded by it too. He then drowsily opened his eyes.   
  
"Matt!" He cried, surprised. "I thought you were a goner! I'm so happy you're alive!" Gabumon continued. The dog/lizard trotted forward to embrace his digipartner, but then unexpectedly stopped.  
  
"Gabumon digivolve to... Garurumon!" he shouted. Garurumon stood there, looking as if he had been struck by lightning and then howled:  
  
"Garurumon digivolve to Weregarurumon!"  
  
"What's going on?" Matt asked no one in particular. The crest-light had 'calmed down' and he had a similar aura of brightness around his body as the other two awake Digidestineds.   
  
"The same thing happened with our Digimon. They just keep on digivol-" Tai said but was cut off.   
  
"Argh, Razor Fist!" The fierce darkish virus-type known as Knimon screamed.  
The razors flew right towards the kids but before they hit anything, Weregarurumon, Metalgreymon and Garudamon jumped before them. Metalgreymon, who had been in the front, dedigivolved back into Agumon, but then rapidly got enough energy from Tai's crest-light to become an Ultimate once again.  
  
"They'll never make it alone! We need to wake up the others!!!" Sora shouted and dodged a dusty rock that came flying through the air when Knimon, with no trouble, had blocked an attack.  
  
"I'll try to!" Tai answered. The brown-haired boy hurried over to the still motionless kids and Digimon. He had no idea how to get them out of the odd trance, so he tried the first thing that popped up in his head. Shake and yell at them.  
  
Tai first got to Mimi. He grabbed her shoulder and shook her violently, not caring about the fact that she hated to be woken up that way.  
  
"MIIIIMIII!" Waaaake up!!!" Tai continued shaking the pink clad girl. After a few moments, the orange glow of Tai got to her crest and she began to stir.   
  
"Yesss..." Tai said quietly. Mimi's light brown eyes fluttered open and she looked up on Tai, feeling her cheeks go a little red. She smiled an awkward smile that made Tai blush slightly too.   
  
"Thanks Tai..." Mimi said. Then, a green light unexpectedly shot up from her crest. She gasped from the surprise, but after maybe a minute, the radiance wore off, leaving a lime coloured glow around her body.  
  
"Wha-" She started, but before she had a chance to finish, Tai had cut her off by telling her that he needed help with waking the others up.   
  
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"Garuru Kick!" The werewolf-looking Digimon growled at the same time Garudamon threw her attack at Knimon. The two Ultimate's attacks hit their target perfectly, but didn't cause any hurt.  
  
Then there was the sound of Palmon, who just woke up, digivolving into Togemon. The Digimon threw herself into the battle almost immediately and Cactus Sprayed Knimon. Her attack was in vain though, but:  
  
"Togemon digivolve to Lilymon!"  
  
The elf-looking Digimon gave the others a quick and confused glance. She was just about to say something as Tentomon and Gomamon cut her off by Digivolving to their champion forms. That meant that Tai and Mimi had been able to wake Izzy and Joe up.  
  
"Matt!" Tk cried happily. "I almost didn't think you'd wake up!" the younger blonde beamed and threw himself into his brother's arms. In the exact moment he did so, the yellow bright light from his crest engulfed him and Patamon's eyes snapped open.  
  
"I didn't think I'd wake up either, squirt." Matt admitted, giving Tai and Sora a grateful glance.  
  
Soon everybody, including the Digimon, was awake and ready to fight.  
  
Knimon stretched his fingers, making them crack noisily.  
  
"Ha! I didn't think that I would be the one to wipe the chosen children off the face of earth!" he screamed. Another shout almost immediately followed that.   
  
"Dark Dagger!" Knimon held up his right hand in the air. The humans and their Digimon saw how the muscles in the virus-Digimon entire body tensed painfully and a black swirling cloud formed above him. Out of the cloud a sharply pointed, oblong object came.  
  
"What!?" Mimi shrieked.  
  
"I believe it's his strongest attack. He doesn't use it that often, because it-"   
  
Izzy started, typing the fastest he could on his laptop, but then looked up from the screen right in time to move.  
  
Knimon had thrown the dark item towards him and the others. Though puffing badly, Knimon's aim had been true and the digidestineds were lucky to not have been hit.  
  
"You *pant* can't run forever *pant*, humans! And your *pant* Digimon *pant* can't hurt me!"  
  
"It weakens him!" Joe finished Izzy's sentence.  
  
"Don't think you'll get away from me!" Knimon roared. He once again created one of those oblong objects and threw it towards Joe and Izzy. It narrowly missed, but was enough to make Ikkakumon and Kabuterimon digivolve into Zudomon and MegaKabuterimon. They attacked, but Knimon staggered out of the way, already preparing a new Dark Dagger.  
  
He held it up in the air, but just when Izzy and Joe thought he would launch it at them, he unexpectedly turned around, throwing it directly at Kari.  
  
Tai's eyes widened and he gasped. Before he even had a clue what he was doing himself he had run to his little sister, now standing protectively in front of her.  
  
Tai squeezed his chocolate eyes shut and held his breath.  
  
Then he felt his crest getting hot against his skin under the t-shirt. Tai opened his eyes. The world seemed to be in slow motion.  
  
The sharply pointed object of Knimon still came shooting through the air towards him and when he turned around slightly, Kari also stood there. Her mouth open in a silent gasp, her eyes big in fear and shock. To the left of him he saw Metalrgreymon desperately trying to get to him.  
  
The tag and crest around Tai's neck were vibrating, almost shaking. The hotness of them was starting to burn and he quickly grabbed the crest and held it up, so that it wouldn't leave a burning mark in his skin.  
  
As he did so, a blinding orange light shot out of Wargreymon.  
  
"Metalgreymon warp digivolve to... Wargreymon!" shouted the dinosaur looking creature's dark growling voice.  
  
The yellow metal-covered Digimon quickly got to his digidestined, shoving him and his little sister out of the way.  
  
Finally, the world seemed to go at regular speed again.  
  
Tai hit the ground hard, an inch from Kari. He instantly rolled over and looked behind him just as the Dark Dagger smashed into the dusty forest floor.  
Knimon laughed but couldn't hide the fact that he actually was exhausted. He tried to say something but all that came out was a raspy wheeze. So instead of speaking, he raised his arms, creating a new Dark Dagger. He sent it against the spot where Matt, Sora and Tk were.  
  
The three of them threw themselves out of the way in different directions, sighing with relief when they saw that no one had been hurt afterwards.  
  
Knimon was tiring quickly. His breaths were sharp and painful and he was swaying when he tried to stand up straight.  
  
"He's getting weaker!" Tai shouted as if the other digidestineds and Digimon hadn't noticed. "Get him, Wargreymon!"  
  
Joe, Izzy and Mimi nodded towards their Digimon and the three Ultimates attacked immediately.   
  
Zudomon and Megakabuterimon hit Knimon together and Lilymon tried to tie a chain of flowers around his neck as she shouted "Flower Cannon!"  
  
But though Knimon was worn out, he torn the flowers into shreds and blocked the hammer- and electric shock attack.  
  
"Razor fist!" Knimon raised his hands and sharp knifes were shot out of his knuckles.  
  
Two of them hit Zudomon and Megakabuterimon, causing them to dedigvolve back into Gomamon and Motimon. Knimon easily grabbed Lilymon in the air and threw her to the hard forest floor.  
  
"Tanemon!" Mimi screeched and rushed to her partner's side.  
  
Tai cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted:   
"Wargreymon, you have to fight! You're the only mega!" He hoped that Wargreymon could hear him for he had flown up in the sky, preparing to launch an   
  
"Weregarurumon", Matt yelled, "You have to digivolve!"  
  
With that, the werewolf Digimon howled and his body started to glow in a blue   
light.  
  
"Weregarurumon digivolve to... Metalgarurumon!"  
  
That loud bellow seemed to startle Knimon, who spun around, his small blackish eyes searching for the source of it. That gave Wargreymon an opening.  
  
"Nova Force!"  
  
Knimon was caught completely off guard and the attack hit him hard in the back. His breaths were dangerously sharp now and he peered heatedly at his assailant.  
Then he lifted is hands and a new swirling cloud appeared that gave Knimon another Dark Dagger.  
  
"Metal Wolf Claw!" Metalgarurumon growled and hit Knimon.  
  
Knimon was knocked to the ground but still held the Dark Dagger desperately in his hand.  
  
"Nova-" Wargreymon began but was cut off by an immense pain the stomach. He looked down, almost surprised, and saw a pointed object sticking out of his abdomen. He lifted his gaze a bit and saw Knimons sneering face. The energy drained from his body and he dedigivolved back into Koromon.  
  
"Foolish digi-" Knimon began with a mocking voice, but just as he had cut off Wargreymon, Metalgarurumon cut off him by slamming his entire body against the dark virus-type.  
  
Knimon stumbled to the ground, Metalgarurumon on his chest, the metal covered wolf's dangerous jaws trying to sink their teeth into Knimon's throat.  
  
But Knimon was considerably bigger than Metalgarurumon and easily tossed him aside.  
  
The humans watched the fierce battle fearfully, wondering what would happen.  
Metalgarurumon was sent flying through the air when Knimon hit him with a "Razor Fist!"   
  
Sora jumped out of the way as Matt's digipartner landed and a cloud of dust blew up from the ground.  
  
The sudden adrenalin rush made her heart beet fast and hard like a drum. She swung around to see if Metalgarurumon was okay. As she did, a glimpse of golden blond hair caught her eye.  
  
Matt was running towards Metalgarurumon but just as if he felt her gaze, he stopped, looking her straight in the eyes.  
  
Sora could feel herself daze away. 'This isn't the right time for this', a little squeaky voice whispered in the back of her head. But she didn't care. It felt like if the red crest-light pulsated with warmth and safety- but there was one thing missing.  
  
Matt.  
  
Sora could see him. He was walking calmly to her, his azure eyes still locked firmly with her own reddish brown ones.  
  
She suddenly realized that she was moving closer to him. She hadn't noticed that she was walking too. But she was and Sora felt a tingling sensation over her skin grow and grow the closer she got to Matt. She smiled and closed her eyes when she felt his hands cupping around her cheeks.  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
  
  
"Matt? Matt!" Tk pulled his older brother's green shirt. "Matt, do you even listen to me?"  
  
But Matt didn't seem to hear and Tk reluctantly let go of his clothing.  
  
"What is he dong?" Joe asked nobody in particular as he dodged a rock that Knimon had thrown at Metalgarurumon and ran up beside Tk.  
  
"I have no idea." Izzy, who had followed Joe, stated and scratched his head.  
Matt seemed to be in some sort of 'trace' and the blue glow that still surrounded him increased that look. But it didn't appear as if he tried to resist it though. He dazedly moved forward, closer to Sora, who looked like if she was in the same sort of trace with a distant smile tugging the corners of lips.  
  
Sora started to make her way towards Matt too and soon they were in each other's arms, eyes still locked.  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
  
  
Matt gently cupped his hands around Sora's cheeks. None of the two seemed to notice how the light around their bodies united in a warm lilac colour when they touched.  
  
It was like the air around them vibrated and everything but being near to each other faded in importance.  
  
Matt felt how Sora wrapped her arms around his waist and he slowly moved his face closer to her. She tilted her head a bit to the side and a very gentle kiss was planted on her lips. Then second and a third one. The sweet butterfly kisses sent shivers down both Matt and Sora's spines but Sora let her hands travel from the blond boy's waist and up to his head where she used them to hold him still.  
  
The kiss went deeper and Sora felt Matt's tongue play with her lips.  
  
She opened them and let him explore every inch of her mouth as she did the same to him.  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
  
  
"Um... Joe, what are my brother and Sora doing?" Tk asked looking with big, surprised eyes at the couple.  
  
Joe didn't answer though. He simply turned away, and awkward blush creeping to his cheeks.  
  
"Wow, prodigious! Look at that!" Izzy exclaimed and started tying on his pineapple laptop.  
  
"Izzy!" Joe blushed into an even deeper shade of red.  
  
"No, not *that*. The crest-lights! They are changing!"  
  
Joe finally turned around again and saw that Izzy was right. The blue and red shines were fusing together into a nearly pulsating lilac, glowing around the two as if they were one.  
  
Izzy, Joe and Tk simply stood there for a moment, not really knowing what to say or do until a shout caught their attention.  
  
"Metal Wolf Claw!"   
  
The three humans spun around only to see how Knimon staggered out of the way and the attack hitting nothing.  
  
"Patamon! Digivolve, now!" Tk cried and the little Digimon shut his eyes, concentrating.  
  
"You too, Gatomon!" Kari followed.  
  
"Patamon digivolve to..."   
  
"Gatomon digivolve to..."  
  
"Angemon!"  
  
"Angewomon!"  
  
The two Digimon flew up high in the sky but was interrupted by two shouts.   
  
"No! We can handle it." Matt and Sora yelled at the same time. They were standing hand in hand on the ground, looking up on Angemon and Angewomon.  
  
The two angels gave Tk and Kari a hesitant glance and Tk and Kari (and the other humans and Digimon) stared questioningly on Sora and Matt.  
  
"We can." Matt said.  
  
"Promise", Sora filled in. "Just get out of here now."  
  
There was something in their voices that made the other digidestined obey.  
  
Angemon swooped down, taking Tk, Joe, Izzy and their worn out Digimon with him as he flew away from the combat zone and Angewomon picked up Kari, Mimi, Tanemon, Koromon and a highly protesting Tai.  
  
"Good luck." She called before she followed Angemon.  
  
"Ha! They're giving up *pant* already? I was just *pant* getting started."   
  
Knimon chuckled, trying to hide the fact that he truly was exhausted.  
  
Metalgarurumon growled and Garudamon, who hadn't gotten the chance to attack for some time glared daggers at Knimon.  
  
"Dark Dagger!" Knimon swiftly threw the Dark Dagger towards Garudamon. She cried out in pain when it hit her in the chest, causing her to digivolve all the way back to her in training form, Yokomon, just as Wargreymon had had to do when he had got hit.  
  
The little pink Digimon gazed up apologetically at Sora, but the girl only mouthed "It's alright", to her. Yokomon got behind the two humans, peeking out through their legs. Sora once again turned her attention to the two mega Digimon.  
  
Matt and Sora held up their crests.  
  
"Metalgarurumon", they yelled, "Digivolve!"  
  
A great flash of light engulfed Metalgarurumon.   
  
"Metalgarurumon digivolve to..."  
  
His body grew bigger and a pair of strong wings, flaming with a purple fire, grew out of his back. His back-feet grew larger and he got up on two legs, stomping in the ground. As the ears on his head developed into something that looked like oversized, pointed cat-ears, he banged his fists together and when the hands opened again, they revealed huge sharp claws.  
  
"GARURUDAMON!" he roared.  
  
"Huh!?" Knimon sinister and beady little eyes went wide with surprise.  
  
"Icy Blaze!" Garurudamon lifted his wings and waved strongly in the air. The wind that hit Knimon brought snow and ice with it and Knimon was soon trapped in a prison of cold. But then Garurudamon's flaming wings started to glow and an inferno of blazing fire was shot at the frozen form of Knimon. The ice around the virus-type melted quickly and the hot flames burned his skin. As soon as Knimon came to his senses, he screamed out in pain and ache.  
  
Knimon stumbled away from the firestorm and weakly raised his hands over his head.  
  
"Dark", he panted, "Dagger..." he half-heartedly threw the attack towards Garurudamon but missed the target gravely, being to tired to even aim.  
  
"Icy blaze", Garurudamon replied. Knimon wailed pathetically.   
  
"I... Won't... Give up!" Knimon roared when he at last was freed from the ice by the burning flames. By the way he said it, Garurudamon, Sora and Matt knew that he was deadly serious.  
  
Garurudamon gazed questioningly at the humans. Matt and Sora's azure and cinnamon eyes met and they knew what they had to do. They looked up at Garurudamon and nodded slightly, wrapping their arms around each other and pressing their bodies as close together as they could get.  
  
Garurudamon hesitated for a second but then turned around to face Knimon, who had succeeded with getting on his feet, again. Garurudamon sighed almost sorrowfully before drawing a deep breath.  
  
"Final Blow." he said. The moment after, a great pounding force was unleashed. The ground cracked up, revealing hot, flowing lava underneath it and 'force' cupped itself over the area, creating something like a great bowl over their heads. The air changed. But no one could tell if it went hot or freezing. Both humans and Digimon got a hard time breathing and they gasped miserably for oxygen.  
  
Black dots swirled over Matt's vision and he fell to his knees, his lungs and chest cramping and working furiously to supply him with air, in vain.  
  
Sora sat down beside him, tears drawing to her eyes, and stroked his soft golden hair. He looked up and lifted his hand, faintly tracing the outlines of her lips before his eyes dazed over and his body went limp and unmoving.  
  
Sora's lower lip trembled but there was too little air for her to even get out a sob. She laid Matt in her lap, hugging him weakly with the little strength she had left. Then everything went black.  
  
  
  
  
Please review.  



	16. Chapter Sixteen

The Meaning Of Friendship: chapter Sixteen- The last chapter of this story. I promise.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Whaat i-is happening??" Tai yelled, not really expecting an answer, as he struggled to maintain his balance.  
  
Their crest-lights had just burned out, leaving the crests back to normal.  
  
The ground shook violently and when the human and the Digimon looked about, a great globe of intense spinning light caught their eyes.  
  
"Oh, my God", Mimi mouthed, too shocked to even get the actual words out.  
  
"Matt!" Tk yelled. His eyes went wide with fear when he realized that his brother must have been right inside that ball of fierce lightings together with Sora, Gabumon and Sora's Digimon.  
  
The earth was shaking more and more and more and a rumbling noise rolled out over the landscape when the vast sphere started to vibrate. A buzzing sound mixed together with the rumbling and the air seemed to tremble brutally, yet being tranquil.  
  
Kari drew a deep trembling breath, but couldn't get that horrible feeling out of her. The feeling of that something terrible had happened to their friends.  
  
"Matt, I'm coming!" Tk cried suddenly, tossing his little rucksack to the ground and running the fastest his legs could carry him towards the swirling light-globe across the woods.  
  
"No, Tk, come back here!" Patamon, who had dedigivolved, yelled, his bat-like wings flapping furiously to keep up with his human.  
  
"C'mon!" Tai yelled to the others and started running after Tk and Patamon.  
As the group made it's way through the tropical digi-forest back to the field that Angemon and Angewomon had gotten them away from, the panic started to rise inside of them all. It made them run faster and faster in their quest to find Sora and Matt.  
  
Then the globe that glimpsed behind the tall trees of the forest changed. It's light grew at least twice as intense, if possible, and its radiance lighted up the whole wooded area. A wind howled wrathfully through the trees. The twelve humans and Digimon realized that it was coming from the centre of the fierce sphere. Also the wind went stronger until it was more like a storm, blowing up bushes, dust and rocks from the forest floor.  
  
Mimi shrieked but even her high-pitched voice drowned in the terrible sound of the screaming wind and rumbling of the globe.  
  
The digidestineds held on to whatever they could grab to prevent themselves from being swapped away by the unnatural force.   
  
Then suddenly the rumble increased to a loud, harsh roar and the globe exploded, sending out it's cruel glow and dust like the Big Bang.  
  
Tai squeezed his eyes shut and screamed for all that he was worth, while the others did the same. A strange kind of temperature surrounded him. It wasn't hot and it wasn't arctic, yet it wasn't tepid either. In fact it was anything but tepid! The same time the air burned Tai's skin, it froze him half to death too.  
  
But the explosion was over just as suddenly and quickly that it had come, leaving the humans and Digimon afraid and gasping for fresh air and oxygen.   
  
The Digimon were the first to recover from the shock. They unsteadily got on their feet, assuring themselves that their humans were okay.  
  
"Onii-san", Tk wailed and tears welled up in his big blue eyes. He plopped down miserably on the badly battered ground.   
  
Tai swiftly picked up Kari on his back and without a word, he started to make his way towards the place where they had last seen Metalgarurumon battle Knimon.  
  
Mimi and Izzy followed him into the thick wood.   
  
Joe gave Tk a quick glance before picking the little blonde boy up and then hurrying away to keep up with the others.   
  
They walked for what felt like hours but in reality only was about ten minutes.   
  
Joe lifted his head when he heard Tai, who had been in the lead, gasp. As he did so, he understood why.  
  
The clearing, which they had been in before they were escorted away by Kari's and Tk's Digimon, lay ahead of them. Joe could see glimpses of it through the trees.  
  
When he walked out of the wood and saw exactly how it looked, he was gobsmacked.  
  
They were standing on a hill by the forest line. The former green grass was now greyish with frost or black-burnt. The clearing itself was much larger; trees had blown down and lay dead in the corners of it, and the new area stretched itself widely across the hills.  
  
The whole world seemed eerily still and a smoky white-grey haze hovered over some of the land.  
  
In the middle of the giant field, the earth was totally covered with black ash.   
  
Joe thought that he could make out the form of a limp Tsunumon lying in it. As his eyes travelled further around the area he saw the last remains of Knimon turning into dark digital dust, which was carried away by a weak breeze.  
  
Then something that made it hard for Joe to even breathe caught his attention.  
  
A body.  
  
Her auburn hair was messed up under the blue helmet and her eyes were closed. A thin line of blood was seen running down from her nose.  
  
"Sora!" Mimi, who had obviously also seen the girl, yelled.  
  
Joe started to run down the slope, careful not to slip and drop Tk, who he still carried on his back. But when he reached Sora, he had to put Tk down.  
  
Mimi waited anxiously as Joe inspected Sora. 'I am *not* the right person for this' she thought and Joe finally opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"I think she's pretty okay", Joe said, "She was lucky that the force of the explosion threw her this way. The ground is softer here, not as may rocks and such."  
  
The blue haired boy looked up with sad eyes, and Mimi knew he was wondering about Matt.  
  
"What was that?" Tai suddenly questioned as he spun around.   
  
"What was what?" Izzy asked.  
  
A light moan was heard.   
  
"That."  
  
"Yokomon!" Kari ran to the little pink flower-like creature side, where she laid a few metres away. "What's happened?"   
  
"Garurudamon... Final Blow..." Yokomon gasped weakly, visibly very tired and worn out. "Sora... Is she okay?"   
  
"Yes, she will be. With a little rest." Joe said.  
  
Yokomon let out a sigh of relief and then fell unconscious.  
  
"Yokomon?" Kari shook her gently. "Yoko..." She gave up, realizing that the Digimon was way too exhausted to stay awake.  
  
"Where's Matt?" Tk wondered out loud, stubbornly staring out over the field, his eyes searching for his brother.  
  
Tai picked up the small telescope he always carried with him. He almost half-heartedly put it to his eye, not sure if he wanted to know what he could see.  
  
'Nothing, nothing, nothing..." Tai thought as he let his gaze travel across the area toward the part of it that was covered with the hazy fog. 'Nothing, noth-' Tai had to stop and look twice. Could it be?  
  
"I can see him, c'mon!" Tai yelled, running in the exact opposite direction of the grass field that they were in now.   
  
Kari took Yokomon with her as she followed her brother and Joe sighed, lifting up Sora.  
  
The frost covered or burnt grass made crunchy noises under their feet when they ran straight across the huge clearing. When they had come to the centre of it they stopped by the circle of ash Tsunumon laid unconscious in.  
  
"Excuse me, but why did you stop?" the tiny voice of Koromon asked when he and the other in-training Digimon, Tanemon and Motimon had caught up with the humans and rookies. They had been trailing behind when the bigger creatures set of in a sprint.  
  
But no one bothered to answer Koromon. Instead Tai simply picked the pink little ball up and sighed. Mimi took Tanemon in her arms and Izzy lifted up Motimon.  
  
The three in-training Digimon threw each other a confused glance but kept their mouths shut.  
  
"I can take Tsunumon." Tk said and picked up Tsunumon. Patamon peered down on the one-horned, orange fur-ball form Tk's helmet.   
  
The strange group of humans and Digimon started to move again, only this time it was more like a hurried walk and not a dash. None of them uttered a single word and it was eerily quiet.  
  
But if you yourself had walked there beside them, you would have known that they all were deep in thought and so nervous that their bellies hurt. And you would have been too.  
  
Then they heard a quiet groan and turned around.  
  
"I think she's waking up", Joe carefully put Sora down on the ground, "Sora? Can you hear me?"   
  
"Hhhuuh?" Sora's eyes fluttered open. Though the sky was clouded by grey, thick clouds it was quite bright outside and she blinked a few times, waiting for her eyes to adjust.  
  
She was pretty confused to see twelve concerned faces peering down on her.   
  
Something in her side felt sore and her nose throbbed very much. For a moment she wondered why. Then the memories came flooding back into her head like if someone pushed the play-button.  
  
She gasped for air, remembering how the oxygen so strangely had vanished when Garurudamon had used that attack.  
  
"Matt!" Sora cried and rose to her feet. Too fast though, for her head spun around and her vision blurred. The next thing she knew was lying on the ground, feeling the sudden dizziness increasingly fade away.  
  
"Don't do that, or you'll faint again." Gatomon stated. She stood by Kari's side, clawed 'hands' on her hips and her eyes piercing into Sora's.   
  
Sora nodded, mostly in confusion and surprise.  
  
"Where... Where's Matt?" she asked, feeling a throbbing apprehensiveness in her chest.  
  
"I'll go check on him..." Tai offered and set off towards the limp form of the fair-haired boy, still lying motionless in the frosty grass.  
  
As Tai got nearer, his own worry for Matt grew. He couldn't see Matt's body clear enough to be able to decide his condition because of the clouding mist that lay thick in this part of the field; he was still too far away, so he sped up a bit and soon he was more running than walking as he had done at first.  
Tai didn't stop until he got so close that he could see the unconscious boy and the big grey rock behind him that Matt most likely had been thrown into by the force of that explosion. When Tai got even closer, he saw that a dark red liquid coloured a part of the rock crimson. The blood came from a probably deep wound in the back of Matt's head and it slowly ran through his ruffled hair and then trickled down his face.  
  
"Matt?" Tai tried, hoping that his best friend would miraculously wake up. He didn't. "Hey, you guys! Come here!" Tai called to the others and kneeled beside Matt, carefully removing his injured head from the bloodied rock.  
  
Matt made no signs of waking up at first, but when Tai gently pushed away some strands of hair to take a closer look on that cut he suddenly whimpered and began to stir.  
  
"Matt?" Tai said again.  
  
When he finally opened them, Matt's eyes were clouded and misty and he seemed to have trouble focusing. He groaned in pain when he tried to lift his left hand to wipe away the blood from his face. Tai noticed that the hand was bent in an abnormal way that didn't look too very good.  
  
Matt let it drop to the ground again. Instead, he wiped the blood away with his right hand, making the blood smear across his face. Not that he seem to notice it (or care about it either) though.  
  
Tai heard the others' footsteps approaching.  
  
Tk was the first one to get to the spot, he had obviously been running the fastest he could, puffing and drawing sharp breaths.  
  
"Onii-san!" he managed to get out and Matt gazed groggily at him. Before he could say anything he felt the younger version of him wrap his arms around his neck. Matt could do nothing but to lie there, not being able to hug his little brother back since his left hand hurt too much to move and his right one being pressed tightly to his stomach under Tk's weight.  
  
He felt a bit crowded, his throbbing head held by Tai, Tk's arms wrapped around him and Joe carefully studying his sprained hand, while the other's just babbled, the words flowing out of their mouths until they didn't make any sense to Matt at all.  
  
Matt slowly drifted away into a slight daze. Then he remembered something and his eyes snapped open.  
  
"Sora!" Matt said, but his friends were talking so loud and fast that they didn't even hear his weak voice. Matt cleared his throat and tried again. "Where's Sora?"  
  
Finally, they quieted down.  
  
"We left her over there", Mimi said and pointed with her hand, "With the Digimon."  
  
"She okay?" Matt asked.  
  
"Yes, she was luckier than you was." Joe stated. "I need to um... stretch this hand out."  
  
Matt nodded as the blue haired boy pushed his glasses higher up on his nose.   
  
"It'll hurt... a bit." Joe carefully pulled the brown glove off the blonde's hand. It was already turning into a nasty shade of purple-grey-blue. Joe gripped the wrist in one hand and the fingers in the other.   
  
"And here we go", he said and pulled his hands apart, stretching Matt's hand out with a horrible cracking sound that made most of the humans cringe.  
  
An immense pain shot out from the hand and Matt jerked up into a sitting position, pulling his hand away from Joe. It was nothing personal, just pure instinct.  
  
Tears formed in his azure eyes and his entire arm was aching now. He choked a cry of pain, making it come out as a muffled whimper in the back of his throat instead.  
  
"Sorry... but that's the only way to fix that kind of injury..." Joe said.  
  
Matt nodded faintly, eyes squeezed shut and gritting teeth as he hugged the hand.  
  
"Matt?" a voice then called. Sora.  
  
"Sora?" Matt tried to get up, but was pushed down by Tai and Izzy, both of them remembering what had happened to Sora when she had tried that too early. And Sora hadn't hit her head either.  
  
"We'll carry you", Tai said, "Then, we'll set up a camp somewhere."  
  
  
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_  
  
  
  
  
_-~{*Later... in the evening/night*}~-_  
  
  
  
"Sora... You still awake?" Matt asked softly, not wanting to wake his sleeping friends. Especially Tsunumon needed his rest.   
  
"Yeah... I couldn't really sleep." was Sora's reply.   
  
She shifted position on the ground so that she was facing Matt.  
  
"Me neither."  
  
It was quiet for a while and the two just lay there, looking up at the star-sprinkled sky. The dark, velvet background and the crescent moon gave it the impression of being absolutely perfect. The only thing that was heard was the soft rustling of the trees' leafs as a gentle breeze swept by.  
  
  
"I love you", they suddenly said in unison, locking their gazes. Matt gave Sora a small chuckle and one of his rare smiles.  
  
"You read minds too?" he asked.   
  
Sora nodded, smiling.   
  
"So, what am I thinking now?"  
  
Sora just shook her head slightly, smiled and then turned her eyes up to the sky.  
  
After a few moments, she gazed at Matt again. He lay there by her side, eyes closed. Sora reached out a hand and gently nudged his shoulder.  
  
"Huh?" he blinked sleepily.  
  
"I um..." Sora felt her cheeks go red. "It just hit me..."  
  
"We've never really kissed." Matt finished her sentence and saw her face redden more. "I guess it's my turn to read minds", he joked.  
  
"Well, we have kissed... that time when you had that fever and..."  
  
"That time doesn't really count. I was kinda unconscious..."  
  
"Yeah... but that time when we made Metalgarurumon digivolve we kissed."  
  
"But we've never really kissed in private. But did you like it?" Matt asked playfully yet seriously.  
  
"Yes", Sora looked down on her hands. She didn't notice that Matt moved closer to her, careful not to hurt his badly bruised hand and wrist. "Matt", she started and then looked up to see his deep blue eyes right in front of her. The next thing she knew was how she closed her reddish brown eyes and how a pair of soft lips brushed over hers, if only ever so lightly. When she opened her eyes again was Matt still there, a few rebel strands of hair hanging over one of his eyes, which quietly wondered if she had liked it.  
  
All Sora wanted to do was to jump up and shout out her feelings to the rest of the world, but she realized that that wouldn't be such a smart thing to do if she didn't want to have rocks thrown at her by her sleepy friends, who would wake up if she did so.  
  
She leaned closer to Matt again so that their lips touched for a second time in a deeper more passionate kiss and they wrapped their arms around each other.  
  
Matt groaned softly as Sora let his tongue slip inside of her mouth.  
  
They finally decided that they needed oxygen and parted.  
  
"Love you", Matt murmured in her ear.   
  
"Love you", Sora whispered, stroking his hair, careful not to hurt the cut in his back head.  
  
They lied down, still in a tight and warm embrace, and felt how a peaceful sleep swept them away into the lands of dreams.   
  
  
  
  
  
~The End~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Okay, so I know that the ending totally sucked but go easy on me!  
And hey, I finally ended this fic ^_^ (yay!) I hope you liked it!  
Thanks for all of the reviews too, I didn't think that I would get so many, since I'm really not that good of a writer (and English isn't my first language)...Soooo... Thankyouthankyouthankyou, for all of the support everyone!!! (I don't wanna write special thanks, cuz then I'll only forget someone ^_^)  
Okay, so now I'm really proud of myself for even finishing this story and I only got one last thing to say/write and that is... PLEASE REVIEW!   
  
/ThatGirl ^_^  



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